Manoj Bhargava

Manoj Bhargava (born 1953) is an Indian American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Innovations Ventures, which produces the 5-hour Energy drink, a product he created and launched in 2004. Bhargava has created a number of other ventures as well, many of which have been based out of a technology park he built in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

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. The 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 case.

Involved in philanthropy, Bhargava joined the Giving Pledge in 2012, and his Billions in Change organization funds humanitarian projects. He has founded a number of charity organizations, including the Rural India Supporting Trust and the Hans Foundation. As of 2025, his philanthropic activities were the subject of a US federal investigation.