From Rs 8K Salary To India¡¯s Youngest Billionaire, The Success Story Of Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath

From earning a meager salary of Rs 8,000 per month as a teenager at a call centre, to becoming India¡¯s youngest billionaire in Forbes list of 2023, Zerodha¡¯s co-founder Nikhil Kamath¡¯s success story is truly an inspiration for anyone who wants to turn their dreams into reality.

Started Trading With Just Rs 8,000 Monthly Salary

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When Nikhil Kamath started working at a call center, he was just 17 years old. With a salary of Rs 8,000 per month, he began trading stocks but he didn't take it seriously until a year later.

While opening up about his journey last year, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath had told Humans of Bombay that he began stock trading properly when his father gave him some of his savings and told him to "manage it". "He just had blind faith," Nikhil Kamath said.

The Launch Of Zerodha In 2010

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Following that, Nikhil Kamath even persuaded the call center manager to follow it. "He told others it worked for him. I eventually stopped going to work entirely, but since I was in charge of the team's finances, I was still counted as present," Kamath revealed, adding ¡°And then I quit to start Kamath Associates with my brother and in 2010 we launched Zerodha!"

But did India¡¯s youngest billionaire Kamath, who is a school drop-out since 10th grade, always plan on opening a stock brokerage firm? Well, the answer is both a yes and no. Sharing the same, he said "My only plan once I dropped out was to make money. I come from a typical, middle-class family¨Cmy cousins are the MBA kind, so questions like, ¡®What¡¯s he going to do with his life?¡¯ were asked.¡±

But Kamath¡¯s parents had faith in him. "All my parents said was, ¡®Don¡¯t do something that embarrasses us too much!¡¯ They had this misconception that I was smart¨CI was good at math. They just had stupid faith in me!"

Also Read: When Nithin Kamath Pranked Zerodha Employees By Sending Fake Cops

Becoming India¡¯s Youngest Billionaire At 37

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In October last year, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath officially became the youngest Indian billionaire at 37, according to Forbes' latest list of India's 100 richest people. Nikhil Kamath's current networth stands at $1.1 billion.

Nikhil Kamath's Salary

In December 2023, Zerodha's company's filings with the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) revealed that Nithin Kamath and Nikhil Kamath earned an annual salary of Rs 72 crore each in Financial Year 2023 (FY23).

Also Read: Zerodha's Billionaire Co-founder Joins Bill Gates & Warren Buffett In Giving Pledge

Lessons Nikhil Kamath Learnt From His Experience

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Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, had once shared the lessons he had learned thus far from his experience, saying, "From dropping out of school to working at a call center to starting Zerodha and True Beacon, I've identified the two or three things I do well and have stuck with them. That doesn't change even after I become a billionaire¡ªI still work 85% of the time and always worry, 'What if I lose it?'"

"My only suggestion is to not worry about these things; in five years, they won't matter. Instead, focus on what needs to be done now and have "stupid faith" that everything will work out somehow." the 37-year-old billionaire added.