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{{Short description|Indian-American businessman and philanthropist}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Manoj Bhargava
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1953}}<ref name="EconomicTimes1">{{cite news |date=10 April 2012 |title=Manoj Bhargava, richest Indian in US commits 90% earnings to charity |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-10/news/31318781_1_charity-work-manoj-bhargava-rs-5k-crore |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923211310/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-10/news/31318781_1_charity-work-manoj-bhargava-rs-5k-crore |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 September 2012 |work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Lucknow]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| citizenship = United States
| education = [[Mahanagar Boys Inter College|Mahanagar Boy's High School]], [[Woodstock School]], [[The Hill School]], [[Princeton University]] (dropped out)
| occupation = Entrepreneur, philanthropist
| known for = [[5-hour Energy]]
| title =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| boards =
| website =
}}

'''Manoj Bhargava''' (born 1953) is an [[Indian Americans|Indian American]] businessman and [[philanthropy|philanthropist]].<ref name="wsj2024">{{Cite news |last=Patrick |first=Margot |date=October 14, 2024 |title=He Was a Monk, Then a Billionaire and Now an Alleged Tax Cheat |url=https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/monk-billionaire-5hourenergy-irs-573c764b |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> He is the founder of Innovations Ventures, which produces the [[5-hour Energy]] drink,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbnonline.com/article/manoj-bhargava-founder-and-ceo-innovation-ventures-llc-and-living-essentials-llc/|title=Manoj Bhargava, Founder and CEO, Innovation Ventures LLC and Living Essentials LLC|publisher=Smart Business|date=1 July 2012|accessdate=24 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="crains2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110529/FREE/305299993/energy-drink-king-behind-100m-fund-bhargava-sets-up-tech-park-for|title=Energy Drink King Behind $100m Fund: Bhargava Sets Up Tech Park For New Firms|publisher=Crain's Detroit Business|first1=Daniel |last1=Duggan |first2=Dustin |last2=Walsh|date=29 May 2011 |accessdate=24 January 2016}}</ref> a product he created and launched in 2004.<ref name=cpi/><ref name="Forbes1">{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Clare |date=February 8, 2012 |title=The Mystery Monk Making Billions With 5-Hour Energy |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2012/02/08/manoj-bhargava-the-mystery-monk-making-billions-with-5-hour-energy/ |work=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> Bhargava has created a number of other ventures as well,<ref name="Crains2"/> many of which have been based out of a [[technology park]] he built in [[Farmington Hills, Michigan]].<ref name="crains2011"/>

For half of 2023, Bhargava controlled publishing for ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', an arrangement followed by a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and failure to make payments.<ref name="guardian2023">{{Cite news |last=Josh |first=Taylor |date=2023-12-12 |title=Arena Group fires CEO in wake of Sports Illustrated AI articles scandal |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/12/arena-group-ceo-ross-levinsohn-fired-sports-illustrated-ai-articles}}</ref> The [[Food and Drug Administration|U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) has investigated 5-Hour Energy over numerous potentially linked fatalities. Its owner Living Essentials has been sued by dozens of state attorneys general for deceptive advertising, resulting in a $4.3 million penalty in a [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] case.

Involved in philanthropy, Bhargava joined the [[Giving Pledge]]<ref name=Inc/> in 2012,<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/> and his [[Billions in Change]] organization funds humanitarian projects.<ref name="inc2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/5-hour-energy-billions-in-change.html|title=Inside the Mind of the Billionaire Who Built the 5-Hour Energy Empire|publisher=Inc. |author =Ilan Mochari |date=15 October 2015|accessdate=24 January 2016}}</ref> He has founded a number of charity organizations, including the Rural India Supporting Trust<ref name="Forbes2012"/> and the Hans Foundation.<ref name="indiatimes_Bhattacharya"/> As of 2025, his philanthropic activities were the subject of a US federal investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Javers |first=Eamon |date=2024-03-21 |title=5-hour Energy billionaire named in Senate Swiss bank tax probe |url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/03/21/five-hour-energy-billionaire-named-in-senate-swiss-bank-tax-probe-source.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=[[CNBC]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Bhargava was born in [[Lucknow]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India in 1953.<ref name="EconomicTimes1"/><ref name="dailyfinance">{{cite news |last= Murphy |first=Eamon |title= 5-Hour Energy: A Success Equal Parts Caffeine, Chemistry and Meditation |url = http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/02/09/5-hour-energy-a-success-equal-parts-caffeine-chemistry-and-med |work= DailyFinance | date =9 February 2012}}</ref> He spent his early years living with his family in Lucknow's Khayali Ganj neighborhood. His father, publisher Narottam Bhargava, had a book store on the ground floor of their house. The family of five moved to a larger house when he was six years old, also in Lucknow, with Bhargava attending Lucknow's [[Mahanagar Boys Inter College|Mahanagar Boy's High School]]. When he was 10, he began attending [[Woodstock School]] in [[Mussoorie]].<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/> At the age of 14, he moved with his family to the [[United States]], where his father pursued a doctorate at the [[University of Pennsylvania]]'s [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School]].<ref name="Sunday TOI">{{cite news|last1=Staff writer|title=Dropout, Monk and billionaire|publisher=Sunday Times of India|date=Oct 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name="EconomicTimes1"/> After showing an aptitude for mathematics, Bhargava attended [[The Hill School]] on a scholarship and enrolled at [[Princeton University]] in 1972. He left the university after one year.<ref name="dailyfinance"/><ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="Crains2">{{cite news |last = Duggan|first=Daniel| title=Wizard of odds |url= http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120219/FREE/302199990/wizard-of-odds|publisher=Crains Detroit | date =19 February 2012}}</ref>

In 1974, Bhargava returned to India and spent more than a decade at an [[Ashram|ashram]] named Hanslok, which was associated with Guru Shri [[Hans Ji Maharaj]].<ref name="Forbes">{{cite news |title=Profile |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/manoj-bhargava |work=[[Forbes]]}}</ref><ref name="Sunday TOI"/>

== Career ==
===Early projects, Living Essentials (1980s-2011)===
Bhargava returned to the United States in the mid-1980s and joined his family's plastics manufacturing business in [[Indiana]].<ref name="Crains1">{{cite news |date=January 1, 2012 |title=Newsmakers of the Year 2011 |url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120101/AWARDS09/301019965/manoj-bhargava |work=[[Crains Detroit Business]]}}</ref> He later acquired and managed several plastics companies, ultimately selling the business in 2006<ref name="Crains2" /><ref>{{cite news|author1=Frank Esposito|title=Spell purchases Prime PVC|url=http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20070604/NEWS/306049981/spell-purchases-prime-pvc|work=Plastics News|date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> to a private equity firm.<ref name="americanbazaaronline.com"/> He moved to the Detroit area in 1994 to be close to his wife's family.<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/> He formed Innovative Ventures LLC, his first venture, in 1998. Among its first products was Chaser,<ref name="crains2011"/> an anti-hangover pill.<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/> He created Living Essentials as an arm of Innovative Ventures to market the product,<ref name="crains2011"/> with the Chaser venture ultimately short-lived.<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/>

After attending a natural products trade show in 2003, Bhargava developed a two-ounce caffeinated beverage, naming it [[5-hour Energy]]. He launched the product in 2004.<ref name=cpi/> Marketing and distribution were handled by Living Essentials LLC,<ref name="WSJ"/> which was set up as a subsidiary of his company Innovations Ventures.<ref name=cpi/> With Bhargava serving as CEO of both Innovation Ventures<ref name="crainsdetroit.com_Walsh"/> and Living Essentials,<ref name="WSJ"/> the product gained market traction. Living Essentials had estimated retail sales of $1 billion in 2011,<ref name=cpi/><ref name="Forbes2012"/> and by 2012, Living Essentials, according to ''Forbes'', was "the biggest player by far" in the [[energy shot]] market. Much of its retail dominance was attributed to Bhargava successfully pursuing copycat products with lawsuits.<ref name="Forbes2012"/> In November 2011, Living Essentials won a trademark infringement case it had filed in 2008 against a competitor, one of seven federal cases the company resolved that year.<ref name="Crains1"/>

===Investment firms and Stage 2 (2007-2015)===
With Bhargava as the investment firm's CEO, MicroDose Life Sciences was formed in 2007. The firm made its first investments in 2010.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news|last=Gormley |first=Brian |title= With Tempting Idea For Start-Ups, MicroDose Makes First Two Deals |url= https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/05/19/with-tempting-idea-for-start-ups-microdose-makes-first-two-deals |work = Wall Street Journal | date = May 19, 2010}}</ref> Bhargava confirmed in 2011 that he was building a technology park in [[Farmington Hills]].<ref name="crains2011"/> He set up a campus of 10 buildings, where he launched a number of enterprises<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/> and venture [[Funding|funds]]<ref name="Crains2"/> such as Plymouth Real Estate Holdings LLC.<ref name="Crains2"/><ref name=Crains1/> By 2011, he had founded two venture capital firms: Lifeline Ventures LLC, and ETC Capital LLC.<ref name="crains2011"/> He launched his third investment fund,<ref name="Crains1"/> Stage 2 Innovations, in May 2011 with $100 million of his own funding.<ref name="crains2014"/> Formed with [[Tom LaSorda]],<ref name="Forbes2012"/> the manufacturing venture laboratory invests in projects intended to help impoverished communities.<ref name=NatlGeo/>

In 2013, Bhargava founded Renew Group Private Ltd., a joint-venture research operation based in [[Singapore]] and associated with Stage 2.<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/> He founded a new private equity firm, Oakland Energy and Water Ventures, in Michigan in March 2014. Operating as a Stage 2 spinoff,<ref name="crains2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140302/NEWS/303029975/bhargava-funds-company-to-invest-in-water-energy-deals|title=Bhargava Funds Company to Invest in Water, Energy Deals|publisher=Crain's Detroit Business|author=Tom Henderson|date=4 March 2014|accessdate=24 January 2016}}</ref> Oakland Energy and Water Ventures LLC focuses on water treatment and energy conservation projects.<ref name="crainsdetroit.com_Walsh"/>Also in 2014, he financed a New York City-based film distribution company, [[Bleecker Street (company)|Bleecker Street]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/biz/news/ex-focus-features-chief-launches-distribution-company-1201282198/|title=Ex-Focus Features Chief Launches Distribution Company|publisher=Variety|first=Alexandra |last=Cheney |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> By 2015, he had reportedly formed 70 limited liability companies in Michigan overall.<ref name="auto1"/> He continued to own 80% of 5-Hour Energy,<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/> with the brand operated by Innovation Ventures, Living Essentials, and MicroDose Sales.<ref name="auto1"/>

By 2015, engineers at his Stage 2 venture were working on three projects: the Rain Maker, intended to convert large amounts of any existing water into potable water, Free Electric, a bicycle-based electrical system, and Renew ECP, a medical device meant to promote blood flow. The latter project was being engineered in Singapore, while the Rain Maker project was being tested at a desalination research facility in New Mexico.<ref name="freep.com_Walsh">[https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/columnists/tom-walsh/2015/10/03/bhargava-billions-philanthropy/73075136/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114108d00----v114108d--46--b--46--&gca-ft=115&gca-ds=sophi freep.com], retrieved Feb 6, 2026</ref>

===Political donations (2009-2015)===
By 2015, Bhargava and his companies had become major political donors in the US, contributing at least $5.3 million to state-level political campaigns from 2009 to 2015. This included state attorneys general, their associations, and groups such as the [[Republican Governors Association]],<ref name="auto1"/> in the latter case through ETC Capital,<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/> with $2.5 million in 2014. [[The Center for Public Integrity]] noted that the timing of the donations coincided with state-level investigations and lawsuits targeting 5-hour Energy. After a ''New York Times'' article highlighting contributions to the attorney generals, "Bhargava and his company accused attorneys general of soliciting political contributions from the company while it was being investigated by them."<ref name="auto1"/>

===Living Essentials lawsuits and Hans Power (2010s-2021)===
Living Essentials' sales had declined by the early 2010s,<ref name=cpi>{{cite news|author1=Ben Wieder|title=The political kingmaker nobody knows | url = http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/03/26/16979/political-kingmaker-nobody-knows | work =[[Center for Public Integrity]]|date=March 26, 2015}}</ref> with 5-hour Energy involved in legal matters relating to marketing and product safety. After receiving filings citing 5-hour Energy in relation to consumer deaths and serious health incidents, by 2015 the [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) was investigating more than 20 fatalities potentially linked to the product. By that time, attorney generals in several states had also initiated legal action against 5-Hour Energy, alleging deceptive advertising. 33 states had jointly investigated the company. The company also faced consolidated [[Class action|class-action]] lawsuits from consumers alleging false advertising.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://publicintegrity.org/politics/state-politics/the-political-kingmaker-nobody-knows/|title=The political kingmaker nobody knows|first=Ben|last=Wieder|date=26 March 2015}}</ref> In 2017, a Washington state court ruled that 5-hour Energy's advertising had violated consumer protection laws, ordering a fine of $4.3 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-5-hour-energy-makers-ordered-pay-nearly-43-million-consumer-violations|title=AG: 5-hour ENERGY® makers ordered to pay nearly $4.3 million for consumer violations | Washington State|website=www.atg.wa.gov}}</ref> Living Essentials denied wrongdoing but paid the penalties.<ref name="auto1"/>

In 2018, a group of wholesalers filed an [[United States antitrust law|antitrust]] lawsuit against Living Essentials. The suit alleged that the company provided [[Costco]] Wholesale with exclusive discount pricing in violation of U.S. [[Price discrimination|price discrimination]] laws. In 2024, the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] declined to hear an appeal from the company, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-wont-hear-5-hour-energy-drink-pricing-case-2024-10-07/</ref>

In 2019, he founded Hans Power and Water LLC, with [[Thomas W. LaSorda|Tom LaSorda]] as CEO. The company's first product, the Hans Premium Water Appliance, is a whole-home water purifying system. In April 2019, Hans Power and Water received town approval to build a manufacturing plant in [[Lyon Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Lyon Township]]. It opened a storefront in May 2019.<ref name="crainsdetroit.com_Walsh"/>

===Media acquisitions (2022-2024)===

Bhargava began building a news operations in Farmington Hills in 2021, naming it Bridge Media Network. He bought the initial platform for Bridge in 2022, from Eric Wotila in [[Cadillac, Michigan]], and then began acquiring dozens of US TV stations.<ref name="dbusiness.com"/> Through his companies Bridge News LLC<ref name="crains20241"/> and MBX Wyoming, in January 2022 he purchased 90% of Freelancer Television Broadcasting, which owned networks and stations such as [[NewsNet]], [[WMNN-LD]] and [[WXII-LD]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Assignee Parties Addendum |url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076f917e74a249017e78f113120be1 |website=WXII-LD FCC Filing |access-date=23 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MI News 26 Founder Starting National News Network |url=https://forums.tvnewstalk.net/topic/15963-mi-news-26-founder-starting-national-news-network/?do=findComment&comment=269402 |website=TVNewsTalk.net |access-date=23 January 2022 |date=23 January 2022}}</ref> In August 2023, Bhargava's Bridge Media Networks acquired a majority stake in [[Ross_Levinsohn#The_Arena_Group|The Arena Group]], owner of several magazine brands,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Venta |first=Lance |date=2023-08-14 |title=5-Hour Energy Founder Expands Media Holdings Including Audacy & Cumulus Stakes - RadioInsight |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/257404/5-hour-energy-founder-expands-media-holdings-including-audacy-cumulus-stakes/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en-US}}</ref> for $100 million.<ref name="nymag2024"/> The Arena Group at the time published over 265 media brands, including ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', [[TheStreet]], [[Parade Media]], ''[[Men’s Journal]]'', and [[HubPages]].<ref name="americanbazaaronline.com"/> Arena agreed to combine with Bridge Media Networks in November 2023.<ref name="deadline.com"/>

In December 2023, Bhargava was named interim CEO of Arena Group,<ref name="guardian2023"/> gaining control of the publishing operations for ''Sports Illustrated''.<ref name="nymag2024"/> He stepped down in early 2024, with Arena stating it was to "avoid any conflicts of interest" related to pending transactions.<ref name="deadline.com">[https://deadline.com/2024/01/sports-illustrated-brand-publisher-restructuring-1235696747/ deadline.com]</ref> In March 2024, [[Minute Media]] took over the licensing agreement with ''Sports Illustrated'' from Arena Group, ending Bhargava's association with the magazine after six months.<ref name="nymag2024"/> [[Authentic Brands Group]], the owner of ''Sports Illustrated'', sued Bhargava in April 2024 for breach of contract, seeking $50 million in damages. The lawsuit, which described Bhargava as a "gangster" and accused him of making discriminatory remarks, alleged he failed to make millions in licensing payments and had planned to terminate the magazine's staff.<ref name="nymag2024">{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/exsports-illustrated-publisher-was-transphobic-gangster.html|title=Sports Illustrated’s Ex-Publisher Was a Transphobic ‘Gangster’: Suit|first=Kevin T.|last=Dugan|date=1 April 2024|website=Intelligencer}}</ref> By May 2024, Bridge Media Network consisted mainly of NewsNet, as well as the SportsNews and Highlights channels.<ref name="dbusiness.com">[https://www.dbusiness.com/from-the-magazine/media-shot/ dbusiness.com]</ref> In August 2024, NewsNet and its sister network SportsNews ceased operations.<ref>{{Cite web | date=2024-08-09 |title=Michigan-Based Newsnet Ceases Operations |url=https://www.michiganmedia.com/2024/08/09/michigan-based-newsnet-ceases-operations/ |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=[[Michigan Association of Broadcasters]] |language=en-US}} </ref><ref name="crains20241">{{Cite web |last=Manes |first=Nick |date=2024-08-02 |title=5-hour Energy founder shuts down news network he bought 2 years ago, laying off 80 |url=https://www.crainsdetroit.com/media-marketing/newsnet-shut-down-5-hour-energy-founder-bhargava |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=[[Crain's Detroit Business]] |language=en-US}} </ref>

===Recent developments (2023-2026)===
In 2023, Bhargava launched several hydration drink brands – True Hydration,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Buss |first=Dale |date=July 1, 2023 |title=A Category Pioneer Stays Energized |work=Institute of Food Technologists |url=https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2023/july/columns/startups-innovators-a-category-pioneer-stays-energized |access-date=November 6, 2023}}</ref> Cellular Hydration, and Natural Glow Hydration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2023 |title=Natural Glow Hydration |url=https://natglow.com/ |access-date=November 6, 2023 |website=Natural Glow Hydration}}</ref> Also in 2023, he gained control of [[ShopHQ]] and acquired a minor stakes in [[Audacy]], which owned 235 radio stations and a podcast network. He also acquired a minor stake in [[Cumulus Media]], owner of [[WJR-AM]] radio in Detroit.<ref name="dbusiness.com"/> In late 2023, as an owner or investor he remained involved with the companies HANS Premium Water, Diagnostic Green, Stage2 Innovations, and Bleecker Street Entertainment. He remained the head or founder of Innovations Ventures LLC, Simplify Inventions LLC, IV Media LLC and Bridge Media Networks LLC.<ref name="americanbazaaronline.com">https://americanbazaaronline.com/2023/12/13/manoj-bhargava-named-interim-ceo-of-sports-illustrated-456036/ americanbazaaronline.com]</ref>

In 2024, Bhargava had invested in the development of Cerezen ECP, a therapy which uses external counter pulsation to increase blood flow. While the FDA had approved the treatment for cardiovascular health, Bhargava was seeking to arrange a trial to test its efficacy at mitigating [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref name="dbusiness.com"/>

Despite the initial fanfare, ''[[India West]]'' stated in 2024 some of the projects worked on by his Stage 2 venture had "proved impractical",<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://indiawest.com/5-hour-energy-drink-boss-manoj-bhargava-under-investigation-for-fraud/|title=5-Hour Energy Drink Boss, Manoj Bhargava, Under Investigation For Fraud|first=The|last=Author|date=29 October 2024}}</ref> with the electrical bike, for example, expensive and inefficient. The bike and ocean water conversion projects had been dropped by 2024, with the lab focusing instead on products such as its Hans Premium water filtration system,<ref name="wsj2024"/> as well as a system aiding farmers in making their own fertilizer.<ref name="freep.com_Roberts">[https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2020/12/04/5-hour-energy-founder-donate-1-billion-worth-water-purifiers/3815964001/ freep.com</ref> Vitamin Energy filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Bhargava and Living Essentials in late 2024, alleging [[Monopoly (economics)|monopolistic]] practices and false advertising regarding the benefits of 5-Hour Energy.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/5-hour-energy-sued-by-rival-drink-maker-over-market-dominance-2024-11-25/</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed in 2025.<ref name="reuters.com_litigation">https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/5-hour-energy-drink-maker-defeats-rivals-lawsuit-over-us-market-dominance-2025-09-02/ reuters.com], retrieved Feb. 6, 2026</ref> In April 2025, Bhargava's Singapore-based company Renew Group Private sold its shares in [[Cumulus Media]]. Renew Group remained the largest stakeholder in [[Audacy]].<ref name="rbr.com">[https://rbr.com/bhargava-sheds-remaining-cumulus-media-shares/ rbr.com]</ref> His company Hans Scientific, by late 2025, had constructed one drug manufacturing plant in the United States, and was in the process of building six others.<ref name="hansscientific.com">https://hansscientific.com/2025/09/30/eu-pharmaceutical-tariffs-to-create-more-u-s-jobs/ hansscientific.com], retrieved Feb 6, 2026</ref>

==Philanthropy==
Bhargava joined the [[Giving Pledge]] in 2012,<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/> pledging to donate over 90% of his fortune.<ref>{{cite web|title=Current Pledgers|url=http://www.givingpledge.org/|publisher=The Giving Pledge|accessdate=29 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=Inc/> He has founded a number of charity organizations, such as the Rural India Supporting Trust.<ref name="Forbes2012"/> In 2009, he co-founded the Hans Foundation,<ref name="indiatimes_Bhattacharya"/> which aims to "provide clean water, reliable electricity and sufficient food to impoverished regions in India."<ref name="crainsdetroit.com_Walsh">[https://www.crainsdetroit.com/manufacturing/5-hour-energy-founder-preps-water-purifier-venture crainsdetroit.com_Walsh]</ref> By 2014, the Hans Foundation had contributed to 151 non-profits.<ref name="indiatimes_Bhattacharya">[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/entrepreneurship/philanthropists-in-the-world-not-thinking-through-what-people-need-manoj-bhargava/articleshow/45103921.cms?from=mdr indiatimes.com], retrieved Feb 6, 2026</ref> Bhargava's [[Billions in Change]] initiative,<ref name=Inc/><ref name="NatlGeo"/> which funds humanitarian projects,<ref name="inc2015"/> was featured in the documentary film ''[[Billions in Change]]'' in 2015.<ref name=Inc>{{cite news|last1=Ilan|first1=Mochari|title=Inside the Mind of the Billionaire Who Built the 5-Hour Energy Empire|url=http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/5-hour-energy-billions-in-change.html|accessdate=Nov 22, 2015|publisher=Inc Magazine|date=Oct 15, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NatlGeo">{{cite news |last1=Koch |first1=Wendy |title=Creator of 5-hour Energy Wants to Power the World's Homes—With Bikes |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/10/151006-energy-drink-billionaire-wants-to-power-homes-with-bikes/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007113233/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/10/151006-energy-drink-billionaire-wants-to-power-homes-with-bikes/ |archive-date=7 October 2015 |accessdate=Nov 22, 2015 |work=[[National Geographic]] |publisher= |issue=Oct 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Bhaswar |date=Oct 22, 2015 |title=Manoj Bhargava's crusade: From energy drinks to limitless energy |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/technology/manoj-bhargava-s-crusade-from-energy-drinks-to-limitless-energy-115102200615_1.html |accessdate=Nov 22, 2015 |work=[[Business Standard]] |publisher=}}</ref> It was made by Film 45, a production company launched by [[Peter Berg]].<ref name="freep.com_Walsh"/>

===Tax evasion investigation===
His charitable giving methods have been the subject of investigation.<ref name="Forbes2012"/> In 2009, he donated 45% of Living Essentials, valued at approximately $1 billion, to the Rural India Supporting Trust, a charity he established. The trust later sold this stake to a separate entity linked to Bhargava in exchange for a $624 million promissory note. This transaction allowed Bhargava to claim a large [[Tax deduction|tax deduction]].<ref name="Forbes2012">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/cross-border/the-secret-sauce-in-5hour-energy/32448/1|title=The Secret Sauce in 5-Hour Energy|website=www.forbesindia.com}}</ref> Investigating the transaction, in 2018 the [[Internal Revenue Service]] (IRS) disqualified several hundred million dollars in tax deductions.<ref name="auto"/> After a federal grand jury requested 12 years of his financial records in 2021,<ref name="wsj2024"/> The [[U.S. Senate Finance Committee]] was examining the transactions by 2024,<ref name="bloomberg2024">{{Cite news |last=Cioffi |first=Chris |last2=Voreacos |first2=David |date=March 21, 2024 |title=5-Hour Energy Founder, Swiss Bank Focus of Senate Tax Probe |url=https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report/5-hour-energy-founder-swiss-bank-focus-of-senate-tax-probe |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref> focusing on offshore holdings and possibly improperly claimed charitable deductions. Senator [[Ron Wyden]], chair of the Senate Finance Committee, suggested the case could result in one of the largest tax penalties in U.S. history. With Bhargava denying his donations failed to comply with all tax guidelines, the investigation was ongoing as of 2025.<ref name="auto"/>

== Personal life ==
Bhargava and his wife Sadhna<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam"/> live in [[Farmington Hills, Michigan|Farmington Hills]], Michigan.<ref name="Forbes"/> Their son, Shaan, is director of special projects at the Hans Foundation.<ref name="businessstandard.com_Shivam">https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/lucknow-boy-115120401212_1.html business-standard.com], retrieved Feb. 6, 2026</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of people from Lucknow]]
*[[List of people from Pennsylvania]]
*[[List of Indian Americans]]
*[[List of Asian Americans]]
*[[List of The Hill School alumni]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhargava, Manoj}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:American people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:21st-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Lucknow]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Princeton University alumni]]
[[Category:The Hill School alumni]]
[[Category:American billionaires]]
[[Category:Indian billionaires]]
[[Category:21st-century American businesspeople]]

Manoj Bhargava - Revision history

Bmgrouprealty at 06:47, 3 May 2026