Robin Khuda, a Bangladeshi-born entrepreneur and founder of the data centre company AirTrunk, has been named The Australian Financial Review's (AFR) Business Person of the Year for 2024. Jack Gance, Sam Gance, and Mario Verrocchi, founders of the discount pharmacy chain Chemist Warehouse, were also recipients of the award this year.

Khuda moved to Sydney from Bangladesh at the age of 18 and pursued an accounting degree at the University of Technology Sydney. He later completed an MBA in finance from Manchester Business School in the UK and further studies in the USA. After working in the corporate sector, he transitioned to entrepreneurship, using his retirement savings to establish AirTrunk in Sydney in 2015, according to SmartCompany, an Australian publication.

In an article discussing the recognition, the AFR highlighted Khuda's journey, describing him as "the penniless student who arrived in Australia from Bangladesh", who "defied the doubters (and an empty bank account), and did something truly unique."

AirTrunk, now among the largest data centre groups in the Asia-Pacific region, operates 11 hyperscale data centres across Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In September 2024, the company was sold to private equity firm Blackstone for $16.11 billion. This deal, reportedly the largest data centre transaction in history, is also Blackstone's largest investment in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the largest Australian buyouts in recent years, according to an article by Reuters.

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On LinkedIn, Khuda acknowledged the recent achievement and credited the AirTrunk team for their role in the company's success, stating, "I'm truly humbled, honoured, and privileged to receive this prestigious accolade. But this recognition belongs to all AirTrunkers who worked tirelessly and with passion to make AirTrunk a global success."

Khuda also received The Australian Financial Review's Business People of the Year for 2023. At the time, AirTrunk in an official press release noted that Khuda's risk-taking and perseverance were critical factors behind his leadership in scaling the company.

As per a recent report by AFR, AirTrunk has also announced plans to expand into South Korea and India, with a goal of surpassing a valuation of $100 billion.