The Withanage Foundation, chaired by Rahula Withanage, is leading a new $125M vehicle, with the aim of developing hospitals and healthcare projects in Sri Lanka. The first project is a hospital complex in Colombo, initiated by Dr Athula Withanage, who carried out Foundation-funded operations at Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital in Malabe for over a decade.
Dr Athula Withanage was a gifted and respected surgeon in Wales, who passed away in March 2024. After moving to the UK in the late 1970s, Dr Athula became Clinical Director and Lead Clinician at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. He was given the Medical Unsung Hero’s Award, and was nominated twice for the Silver Scalpel Award. His daughter Triona Withanage, who is a practicing GP in the UK, will be taking over her father’s role in the Foundation.
Rahul Withanage commented “It is an honour to be able to continue my brother’s work in Sri Lanka, and to uphold his legacy as someone who was a beacon of inspiration and support for me, and for his community.”
The Foundation’s previous work in Sri Lanka focused on funding operations for low-income patients who would otherwise face long waiting periods for critical procedures. With the new hospital, the Foundation hopes to provide effective, life-saving services. Future projects are to include mobile healthcare facilities, to increase access to healthcare across Sri Lanka.
The Withanage family founded the BMB Group and Scepter Partners. BMB was established in 2006, growing into a multibillion-dollar investment platform, unifying sovereign investors across the Middle East and Asia. Scepter Partners was founded in 2014 as a direct investment firm in partnership with Blackstone Asia Advisory Partners. The family office is due to announce new platforms later in the year.
Rahula Withanage’s son, Rayo Withanage, recently announced a sabbatical from his finance businesses, taking on a new role as Program Co-ordinator for the Foundation. The move came after a protracted 6-year divorce process. In 2017, Rayo Withanage purchased Château de Vie, Pablo Picasso’s final home in the South of France. Château de Vie is one of the most important art production estates in the world, where Picasso produced artworks worth over $4 billion. The estate is steeped in history and artistic legacy, having hosted Winston Churchill, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dali, and iconic entertainers as diverse as Charlie Chaplin, Édith Piaf and the Rolling Stones. The estate has since been transferred to a new investment consortium.
Dr Athula Withanage
Rahula Withanage
Rayo Withanage
