Meet the tech-millionaire, Sabeer Bhatia, who was once linked to Aishwarya Rai and awkwardly interacted with Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan for his dating rumours with the Miss World 1994.
Sabeer Bhatia is a tech-entrepreneur, who is currently working on an AI-powered learning platform, ShowReel and is also the co-founder of Clean Fanatics. He is a constant source of inspiration for many aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide who dream of owning a company one day. For the uninitiated, despite not belonging to a business family, Sabeer co-founded Hotmail with his friend, Jack Smith, back on July 4, 1996. In a period of just 18 months, Hotmail was all over the world and caught the attention of Microsoft's co-founder, Bill Gates.
The American business tycoon approached Sabeer Bhatia and told him that he would like to buy his company, Hotmail. After a series of negotiations, Sabeer agreed to sell Hotmail to Bill Gates at a price of Rs. 3300 crores back in 1998. Today, it is known as Outlook and is one of Microsoft's most used e-mail and personal information manager applications. Sabeer became a millionaire overnight, and when he returned to India after finalising the multi-million dollar deal with Bill Gates, he received a lot of attention from celebrities and famous personalities.
After selling his 18-month-old company, Hotmail, to Bill Gates for Rs. 3300 crores, Sabeer Bhatia purchased a series of expensive things. From buying a penthouse, luxury cars, and a yacht to investing in real estate, Sabeer was all over the headlines for his extravagant purchases. Amidst all the buzz around his multi-million dollar deal with Bill Gates, Sabeer Bhatia was linked to Bollywood actress, Aishwarya Rai. According to a DNA report, Sabeer and Aishwarya's dating rumours started making noise in the media corridors back in 2001.
As per The Times Of India report back in December 2001, Sabeer Bhatia publicly shared that he liked Aishwarya Rai. The businessman praised her acting performance in the film, Taal, which was released in 1999. Not only this, according to a report in BollywoodLife, Sabeer admitted in the same interview that he would like to get married to Aishwarya Rai. After his interview went public, it created a stir in the film industry. As per some media reports, due to Sabeer and Aishwarya's dating rumours, Salman Khan wasn't quite impressed as he was in love with Aishwarya Rai.
According to a report in The Times Of India, Sabeer Bhatia and Salman Khan met at a party back in December 2001, amidst the millionaire's dating rumours with Aishwarya Rai. During their interaction at the party, Salman asked Sabeer, "So, you're the guy, who wants to marry Aish?" Sabeer was with Simi Grewal when Salman asked him this question, and the techpreneur laughed it off by saying that it's just a media-fuelled thing. In response to Sabeer's denial, Salman told him, "She's a very nice girl".
The report further shared that when Sabeer Bhatia was posing with a lady later that night at the party, Salman Khan barged in and put his arm around the lady. After the picture was taken, Salman accidentally stubbed his cigarette on Sabeer's hand, and the millionaire immediately brushed it off. To this, Salman apologised to the entrepreneur but also gave him a witty and salty response, saying, "Oops, Finally, you've got 'Ash' on your hands". The incident was all over the tabloids with juicy headlines, and soon, it was washed off from everyone's memories.
Aishwarya Rai isn't the only Bollywood actress linked with Sabeer Bhatia. The e-mail pioneer was also linked with Ameesha Patel and Sushmita Sen. However, none of his alleged affairs convert into a lifetime commitment. As a result, he got married to his longtime family friend, Tanya Sharma on March 9, 2008. The couple welcomed a baby girl into their lives and named her Arianna. Unfortunately, after almost five years of marriage, they divorced in 2013. Fast forward to 2025, Sabeer is single and fully focused on taking his companies to new heights.
What are your thoughts on Sabeer Bhatia and Aishwarya Rai's alleged affair and how Salman Khan reacted to it? Let us know.
Also Read: Sabeer Bhatia And Tanya Sharma's Love Story: Booked An Island For Wedding, Divorce After Five Years