22 Facts About Dilith Jayaweera

Dilith Susantha Jayaweera was born on 18 September 1967 and is a Sri Lankan businessman, entrepreneur, media mogul, lawyer and politician.

Dilith Jayaweera is the current Chairman of George Steuart Group of Companies, and the founder and CEO of TV Derana.

Dilith Jayaweera entered politics in September 2023 and is the founder and leader of the Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya.

In 2020, Jayaweera was among 100 corporate leaders named by the LMD on its A-list of businesspeople in Sri Lanka.

Dilith Jayaweera received his primary and secondary education at St Aloysius' College, Galle, and later joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo, and subsequently Sri Lanka Law College, where he qualified as an Attorney-At-Law.

Dilith Jayaweera holds an MBA from the University of Wales.

Dilith Jayaweera funded the 'Api Wenuwen Api' Housing Project, a campaign created on behalf of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces to raise the profile of the Sri Lankan army, navy and air forces during the latter stages of the Sri Lankan civil war against the LTTE.

In October 2011, Dilith Jayaweera took over the 176-year-old George Steuart Group, Sri Lanka's oldest mercantile establishment.

Dilith Jayaweera has entered industries such as travel and leisure, pharmaceuticals, property and manufacturing via the George Steuart Group of Companies.

Dilith Jayaweera played a significant role in Gotabaya Rajapaksa's 2019 presidential campaign, through multifaceted support and strategic media influence.

Dilith Jayaweera orchestrated a media strategy that significantly amplified the Rajapaksa campaign's visibility islandwide.

Dilith Jayaweera formally entered Sri Lankan politics in 2023 when he founded and was appointed as the leader of the Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya, succeeding Hemakumara Nanayakkara, who was appointed to an advisory position as Senior Leader of the party.

Prior the announcement, Dilith Jayaweera resigned from several of his company board positions.

On 4 August 2024, Dilith Jayaweera was announced as the presidential candidate of the Sarvajana Balaya in the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election.

Dilith Jayaweera submitted nominations from the Communist Party to contest under the "star" symbol.

Dilith Jayaweera finished in sixth place in the first round, winning 122,396 votes.

Dilith Jayaweera contested for 2024 parliamentary election from Gampaha district, but failed to secure a seat.

Dilith Jayaweera sent the BBC Sinhala service a letter of demand for defamation for carrying a story on the subject.

Dilith Jayaweera is married to Nelum, his contemporary at the University of Colombo.

Dilith Jayaweera's father was an Additional Registrar of Lands and his mother was a school principal.

Dilith Jayaweera is an acquaintance of Dinesh Palipana, a Sri Lankan-Australian doctor and Queensland's first quadriplegic medical intern.

Palipana has credited Dilith Jayaweera with helping him progress through the accident that left him a quadriplegic.