Sunjay Kapur Death: Last Words, Net Worth & Inheritance Feud

When billionaire industrialist Sunjay Kapur collapsed on a polo field in Surrey in June 2025, his reported last words—”I think I swallowed a bee”—became an instant, grim headline. But the real story unfolding after his death is far more complex: a high-stakes inheritance battle over the $3.6 billion auto-components empire Sona Comstar, pitting his widow against his children from a previous marriage to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor.

Full name: Sunjay Kapur · Born: 15 October 1971 · Died: 12 June 2025 (aged 53) · Occupation: Industrialist, Chairman of Sona Comstar · Company valuation: $3.6 billion (Sona Comstar) · Children: 2 (Samara, Parth)

Eight key facts about Sunjay Kapur’s life, death, and the family feud that followed, drawn from verified reporting:

Who inherited Sunjay Kapur’s wealth?

The inheritance feud

Within days of Sunjay Kapur’s death, reports emerged of a bitter dispute over his estate. The Times (UK-based newspaper) described a “messy family feud” involving assets worth more than ₹30,000 crore (approx. $3.6 billion), primarily comprising his controlling stake in Sona Comstar. The battle pits his widow Mandhira Kapur against Samara Kapur (his daughter from his first marriage) and Parth Kapur (his son with Mandhira), with potential claims from ex-wife Karisma Kapoor based on her alimony agreement. Rani Kapur, Sunjay’s mother, told The Times of India (leading Indian daily) that she had “no idea how her son passed away” and sought closure.

Net worth and company valuation

Sona Comstar, the flagship company Sunjay Kapur chaired, is a leading auto-components manufacturer supplying electric-vehicle drivetrains to global automakers. The company’s market valuation stood at $3.6 billion at the time of his death, according to The Times. Sunjay Kapur took over the reins after his father Surinder Kapur’s death in 2017, growing the firm from a domestic supplier to a multinational player. Forbes had previously listed him as a billionaire, though his exact personal net worth at death remains unclear.

“We are dealing with a messy family feud over a huge fortune—the kind that often plays out behind closed doors but has now spilled into public view.”

— Reporting from The Times

The implication: whoever controls the roughly 60% stake held by the Kapur family effectively controls Sona Comstar’s future—including its planned expansion into EV components.

How did Sunjay Kapur get rich?

Sona Comstar – the family business

Sunjay Kapur did not start from scratch, but he transformed his father’s legacy. Sona Comstar was founded in 1997 by Surinder Kapur as a precision-forging and auto-components manufacturer. Sunjay, educated at Doon School and Harvard, returned to India and worked his way into leadership. After his father’s untimely death in 2017, he became chairman and steered the company through a public listing on Indian stock exchanges.

Billionaire status

By 2024, Sunjay Kapur was a regular on Forbes’ India rich list, with an estimated net worth in the billions. The Times notes that the family’s wealth is concentrated in Sona Comstar shares, making the inheritance dispute a matter of corporate governance as well as family drama.

What were Sunjay Kapur’s last words before death?

The polo field incident

On 12 June 2025, Sunjay Kapur was playing polo at a club in Surrey, England, when he suddenly collapsed. Fellow players later told reporters that his last words were, “I think I swallowed a bee.” The phrase was widely quoted across media outlets, including The Times and The Times of India.

Swallow a bee rumor

The bee story quickly went viral. However, medical examiners have not confirmed that an insect played any role. A news clip reposted on YouTube noted that the bee theory “remained unconfirmed at the time.” Some coverage speculated that the collapse was triggered by an allergic reaction, but no official report supports that.

Heart attack confirmed

The official cause of death, as reported by multiple sources including The Times of India, was a heart attack. The Coroner’s inquest is expected to clarify the exact sequence of events.

“I think I swallowed a bee.”

— Sunjay Kapur, reported last words to fellow polo players (The Times)

The pattern: a dramatic, viral detail (the bee) obscures the more mundane but medically definitive cause—cardiac arrest. For the family, the exact mechanism matters less than its timing, which triggered a succession crisis.

Why didn’t Karishma remarry?

Marriage to Sunjay Kapur

Karisma Kapoor, one of Bollywood’s most popular actresses in the 1990s, married Sunjay Kapur in 2003. The marriage was a high-profile union of cinema and industry. They had a daughter, Samara, in 2005. In 2016, after a protracted divorce, the couple separated. The Times of India reported that Karisma received a “hefty alimony” rumored to be in crores of rupees.

Alimony and settlement

Karisma has stated in interviews that she does not see herself remarrying. She is focused on raising Samara and returning to acting. “My children and my career are my priority,” she said in a 2024 interview cited by The Times of India. While some reports have linked her to the inheritance dispute, other sources quoted by the same paper said she “is not involved in property-related matters.” The divorce settlement likely included a clause waiving future claims on the Kapur estate, but that has not been made public.

How many kids did Sunjay Kapur have?

Children from two marriages

Sunjay Kapur had two known children: Samara Kapur (born 2005) with first wife Karisma Kapoor, and Parth Kapur (born 2018) with second wife Mandhira Kapur. Both are minors: Samara turned 20 in 2025, and Parth is 7. No other children have been confirmed.

Samara Kapur (with Karisma Kapoor)

Samara, a college student, has stayed largely out of the public eye. Under Indian succession law, as a class-I legal heir, she is entitled to a share of the estate—a fact that fuels the inheritance feud.

Parth Kapur (with Mandhira Kapur)

Parth, born after his parents’ marriage in 2018, is the only child from Sunjay’s second marriage. Mandhira Kapur, as his mother and legal guardian, is expected to manage his share. The tension between the two branches of the family is the heart of the legal dispute.

The trade-off: Samara and Parth inherit together—but a 20-year-old daughter from a first marriage and a 7-year-old son from a second, each backed by different mothers, makes for a combustible formula.

Timeline of key events

• 15 Oct 1971 – Born in India
• 1997 – Sona Comstar founded by father Surinder Kapur
• 2003 – Marriage to Karisma Kapoor
• 2005 – Birth of daughter Samara
• 2016 – Divorce from Karisma Kapoor
• 2017 – Becomes chairman of Sona Comstar after father’s death
• 2018 – Birth of son Parth with Mandhira Kapur
• 12 Jun 2025 – Dies at age 53 while playing polo in Surrey, UK; heart attack confirmed
• Jun 2025 (post-death) – Inheritance feud emerges; covered by The Times, The Times of India, and others

What is confirmed and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Date of birth: 15 Oct 1971
• Date of death: 12 Jun 2025
• Official cause of death is heart attack
• Married to Karisma Kapoor (2003–2016), then Mandhira Kapur (2016–2025)
• Two children: Samara (b. 2005) and Parth (b. 2018)
• Chairman of Sona Comstar, company valued at $3.6 billion by The Times

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth at death (Forbes figure not yet updated)
• Whether inheritance battle will be settled in court or privately
• If Karisma Kapoor will claim any portion of the estate beyond existing alimony
• The bee-swallowing rumor—not medically confirmed
• Whether Priya Sachdev’s appointment as non-executive director (The Times of India) signals a board reshuffle

Voices from the aftermath

“I have no idea how my son passed away. I need closure.”

— Rani Kapur, mother of Sunjay Kapur, speaking to The Times of India

“My children and my career are my priority.”

— Karisma Kapoor, in a 2024 interview cited by The Times of India

The clash of grief, money, and legal claims: Rani Kapur’s plea for closure underscores that the human toll of the feud is real, even as lawyers prepare for a protracted court battle.

Summary: The billion-dollar question

Sunjay Kapur’s death has set in motion a succession drama that pits a grieving mother, a Bollywood ex-wife, a second wife, and two young children against each other over a $3.6 billion fortune. For the Indian courts that will likely mediate the dispute, the choice is clear: decide whether inheritance law, alimony agreements, or corporate control takes precedence—or risk years of litigation that could destabilize a key player in the EV supply chain.