Nikhil Kamath Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Nikhil Kamath

• Is Nithin Kamath a drinker?: Yes, Nithin Kamath will be present at a party.

• Is Nithin Kamath a smoker? According to Rediff, yes, he is. [14]

• Nikhil Kamath, hailing from Bengaluru, is a renowned entrepreneur who co-founded Zerodha, a leading institutional brokerage firm and trading platform in India.

• Nikhil Kamath had a nomadic childhood, constantly on the move due to his father’s job at a bank. However, at the age of nine, his family finally settled in Bangalore. This photograph beautifully captures a precious moment from their childhood, with Nikhil alongside his father and brother.

• He despised his school experience, as he could never grasp the usefulness of the education system, according to his perspective. The only subject he excelled in was mathematics.

• During his time in school, he actively engaged in chess tournaments at both state and national levels. When interviewed by CNBC, he expressed,

Chess instructs you on functioning within a structured system while also encouraging creativity within its confines.

• From a young age, Nikhil possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, showing little enthusiasm for his academic pursuits. At the tender age of 14, he embarked on his maiden business venture, specializing in the sale of pre-owned mobile phones. However, his mother intervened, forcing him to cease his operations by discarding the phones. Allegedly, she believed he was too youthful to engage in such business activities.

• His school teachers were dissatisfied with his performance and wanted to punish him by barring him from taking his 10th board exams. In that moment, Nikhil concluded that it would be in his best interest to leave school and explore alternative options. During an interview, he stated that he had no specific plan in mind when he made the decision to drop out; his primary goal was to earn an income. Being from a conventional, middle-class Brahmin family, where most of his cousins pursued advanced degrees such as an MBA or PhD, there was a sense of curiosity surrounding his future endeavors. People frequently pondered, “What will he do with his life?”

• Nikhil, despite his dropout status, secured employment at a call centre at the age of 17, earning a meager salary of Rs 8000. It has been reported that he resorted to presenting a counterfeit birth certificate in order to meet the age requirement of 18 years for the position.

• “Working night shifts at the call centre between 4 pm and 1 am, he embarked on a new venture as a stock trader during the day. Concurrently, he made the significant decision to leave his parents’ home and reside with his girlfriend. In an interview, he recounted his experience of moving out, stating…”

I gained valuable knowledge by distancing myself from the family environment and the opinions of relatives; it allowed me to focus on what truly matters.

• Once he acquired the knowledge of stock trading, he took charge of his father’s savings, effectively managing them. Additionally, Nikhil successfully persuaded his call centre manager to entrust him with his own finances. In exchange for this favor, the manager ensured he was marked present in attendance every day and even rewarded him with incentives.

• In 2004, Kamath resigned from his position to establish Kamath Associates, a trading firm, alongside his older brother Nithin, who was concurrently employed as a part-time stockbroker.

• The trading platform Zerodha was launched in 2010 by the Kamath brothers. The name Zerodha is derived from the combination of two words, ‘Zero’ and ‘Rodha’, with ‘Rodha’ being a Sanskrit term for barrier.

• During the COVID-19 lockdown, Zerodha emerged as the largest trading platform in India, experiencing a monthly user base growth of 100%. One of the key factors contributing to Zerodha’s success is its minimal fee of Rs. 20 charged for any intra day trade, regardless of its magnitude.

• Zerodha currently facilitates more than 5 million orders daily, totaling over $1 billion in value. This accounts for approximately 15% of India’s daily equity volume.

• In 2014, Nikhil and his brother established Rainmatter, a hedge fund, with a starting capital of INR 50 crores. The primary objective of this fund was to financially support technology start-ups. To ensure a strategic approach, they implemented a policy of investing only amounts below 1 million dollars. Notably, some of their successful investments include Digio, Learnapp, Finception, Smallcase, Sensibull, and Quicko.

• True Beacon, an asset management company founded by Zerodha in 2019, specializes in investing in the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) sector. Despite the volatility of the markets, the company’s $2 million investment fund yielded an impressive 40% return in its inaugural year.

• In 2020, Zerodha has applied for a license to establish a mutual fund-based AMC, as part of their future plans.

• During a media interaction, Nikhil discussed his transformation from a school dropout to a prosperous entrepreneur.

• At the age of 34, Nikhil achieved the remarkable feat of becoming one of India’s youngest billionaires in the year 2020.

• He spoke about his bond with his brother, stating,

My brother and I have a great relationship, we’re more like friends. He is, however, as competitive as a 10-year-old boy, but in a nice way.”

• Nikhil Kamath has graced the cover of several prestigious business magazines, including GQ.

• Nikhil Kamath and his brother were highlighted for their talents in various business magazines and newspapers, with Forbes magazine being one of them.

• With a passion for books, Nikhil has amassed a collection of over 500 books.

• Kamath is the proud owner of a pet dog called Hope, as reported by the Economic Times.

• During an interview, he expressed that he considered the Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov as his idol.

• In June 2023, he became a member of the Giving Pledge Foundation, which was initiated by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in 2010. He pledged to donate the majority of his wealth to the foundation, joining an esteemed group of Indian leaders, including Azim Premji, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Rohini and Nandan Nilekani. [16] India Today In expressing his gratitude for joining the foundation, he stated, “As a young philanthropist, I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Giving Pledge. I want to express my appreciation for this privilege. Despite my young age, I am committed to making a positive impact in the world. The foundation’s mission of fostering a more equitable society strongly aligns with my own values and aspirations.”