support@headlinenews360.com
Last Updated:
Once Nikhil Kamath’s mother found out about his business, she flushed his entire inventory down the toilet.
Nikhil Kamath dropped out of school at the age of around 15 or 16.
(Photo Credits: Instagram)
At the age of 38, Nikhil Kamath has already become a popular name in India’s startup scene. The co-founder of stockbroking firm Zerodha, Kamath recently shared an anecdote from his childhood. During a conversation with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, the entrepreneur revealed how he started a business venture during his school days. Kamath may have earned the title of India’s youngest billionaire. But he still cherishes the memory of being a “rebellious child who wanted to do the opposite of everything someone told him to do.” “I hated school, always did,” Nikhil Kamath told Roslansky while sharing that he dropped out of school at the age of around 15 or 16.
Kamath revealed that the first business idea came to his mind when he was in the 9th grade. It all started with a cell phone. Kamath sold the second-hand device for a small amount of profit. He then used the money to buy some other cell phones before releasing them with a new price. He was enjoying the side business but couldn’t continue for long.
Once his mother found out about all of this, she flushed his entire phone inventory down the toilet, as per LinkedIn. The incident put an end to the teenager’s business venture. “I was a fairly insecure young boy because my classmates of the time were in college… to overcompensate for that insecurity, I would read whatever I could get my hands on,” Kamath told Roslansky.
“I think I’ve learned everything I have learned only through failures. I don’t think success teaches much outside of creating an ecosystem where it is easier for you to get complacent,” he added.
Despite his mother’s disagreement, Kamath didn’t give up. After leaving school, he took up a “soul-crushing night-shift job” at a call centre. During his working hours, Kamath started learning about the stock market and trading. He even became the investment manager for his entire team.
“That was the lightbulb moment for what became a rule-breaking journey through India’s financial world, where, to this day, he challenges traditional norms and empowers everyday individuals to take control,” LinkedIn wrote in a blog about Nikhil Kamath.
Apart from Zerodha, Nikhi Kamanth also co-founded Gruhas in 2021. Gruhas is a venture capital firm focused on supporting startups in sectors like AI, climate and media.
