NIKHIL KAMATH
Co-founded Zerodha, India's biggest discount brokerage by trading turnover, with his brother and became India's youngest billionaire — all without a college degree
Nikhil Kamath dropped out of school at 14 and started trading in his teens. He co-founded Zerodha with his brother Nithin in 2010, a discount brokerage that charges zero commission on equity trades. Zerodha has about 6.9 million active clients and roughly 15% of the National Stock Exchange's active client base, though Groww overtook it on client count in 2023. The company has never raised external funding and still generates over $1 billion in annual revenue. Nikhil is India's youngest billionaire. He did not attend a single day of college. He played chess against Vishy Anand and used a computer. The internet found out and he apologized. That is the most interesting controversy a billionaire has ever had.
Net Worth
$3.1 Billion
Verified Sep 2026
Nationality
Indian
Time Horizon
Medium-Term
Risk Appetite
7 / 10
Net Worth Context
- · Still a billionaire — just the quiet kind at the end of the table.
CAREER & BACKGROUND
Dropped out of school at 14. Started trading at 17.
Co-founded Zerodha with brother Nithin Kamath in 2010. Zerodha became India's largest stockbroker by active clients and held that title until Groww passed it in 2023.
It now has roughly 6.9 million active clients, down from a peak near 7.9 million as retail traders left the market in 2025 and 2026. The company has never raised external capital and is 100% bootstrapped.
Annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. Nikhil co-founded True Beacon, an alternative investment fund (AIF) for high-net-worth individuals.
Co-founded Gruhas, a real estate investment platform. Active angel investor in Indian startups through his fund WTF Fund.
Named India's youngest billionaire. Hosts a popular podcast "WTF is with Nikhil Kamath" featuring interviews with Indian founders and investors.
Chess controversy in 2021 — played former world champion Viswanathan Anand in a charity match and was found to have used computer assistance during the game.
COMPANIES & ROLES
Zerodha (co-founder), True Beacon (co-founder), Gruhas (co-founder), WTF Fund (angel investor)
INVESTING STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Nikhil is an active trader turned investor and entrepreneur. He started as a derivatives trader and carries that analytical, risk-managed approach into his investing.
Through True Beacon he runs a long-short fund for wealthy Indians, roughly 60% long-only in large-cap Indian companies and 40% in a derivatives book that hedges the downside and hunts alpha. It charges no management fee at all, only a 10% performance fee above a high watermark, which is close to unheard of in Indian wealth management.
His angel investing through WTF Fund focuses on Indian startups across fintech, consumer, and technology.
THE PLAYBOOK
Risk Approach
High in trading, moderate in business investing. Nikhil grew up as a derivatives trader, one of the highest-risk activities in finance.
His personal trading was leveraged and concentrated. His business risk has been more moderate.
Zerodha was built conservatively without external capital. True Beacon manages risk with a derivatives overlay rather than by spreading bets thinly, which is a trader's answer to the problem rather than a fund manager's.
Money Habits
Lives in Bangalore. Known for a relatively modest lifestyle despite billionaire status.
Active on social media — his podcast and Twitter are among the most followed finance accounts in India. He invests in Indian startups and real estate.
Known for his interest in chess, gaming, and sports.
BIGGEST WIN
Co-founding Zerodha and building it into one of India's largest brokerages without raising a single rupee of outside capital. The company generates $1 billion+ in revenue.
Because nobody ever bought in, the Kamath brothers own nearly 100% of it, which is the rarest thing in Indian tech.
BIGGEST MISTAKE
The chess controversy. In 2021, Nikhil played chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand in a charity event and was later found to have used computer assistance.
He publicly apologized. While relatively minor, the incident briefly damaged his credibility and became a viral story in India.
FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY
Nikhil believes in financial independence through active trading and investing. He advocates for learning by doing — he started trading as a teenager and learned through losses rather than textbooks.
He is skeptical of traditional education for finance careers and believes practical market experience is more valuable than academic credentials.
FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
Unmarried. Based in Bangalore with his family.
His brother Nithin Kamath is his closest business partner. Their mother was a key early supporter of their trading activities.
EDUCATION
No formal education beyond 10th grade. Self-taught trader and investor.
He has been vocal about the irrelevance of traditional education for entrepreneurship.
BOOKS & RESOURCES
And Market Wizards by Jack Schwager. He credits his trading education to practical experience and online forums
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NETFIGO SCORE
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