Nikhil Kamath is the co-founder of Zerodha, which is among India’s leading stock broker and financial services companies. Besides being an entrepreneur, Nikhil is also a YouTuber who loves inviting renowned personalities on his popular YouTube podcast series, WTF. From Ranbir Kapoor, Tanmay Bhatt, KL Rahul, Bill Gates, and Kumar Birla Mangalam to Nandan Nilekani, Yann LeChun, and many more, Nikhil has dominated the Indian podcast space.
Who is Nikhil Kamath? Meet Zerodha’s co-founder on whose YouTube channel Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his podcast debut
However, Nikhil Kamath took a jump way above everyone else when his podcast with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was dropped on his YouTube channel on January 10, 2025. The entire social media went upside down when PM Modi made his podcast debut with Nikhil, which took the podcast game in India to a completely different stature. From Nikhil asking Narendra Modi about the viral ‘Melodi memes’ to the Prime Minister stating, “I am human, not God, mistakes happen”, the podcast is leading all the headlines.
Amidst all the buzz around Nikhil Kamath’s podcast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people are also digging deep on the internet to know more about the podcaster. For the uninitiated, Nikhil is a 38-year-old entrepreneur who has co-founded companies like Zerodha, True Beacon, and Gruhas. Not only this, Nikhil also co-owns the Bengaluru franchise in the second season of the Global e-Cricket Premier League. The young entrepreneur received a lot of love and admiration when, in June 2023, Nikhil took the pledge of donating 50 per cent of his wealth to charity by signing ‘The Giving Pledge’.
Nikhil Kamath’s journey from dropping out of school after class 10 to becoming India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 38
Nikhil Kamath was born on September 5, 1986, in Karnataka’s Shimoga. While his father, Raghuram Kamath, was an executive at Canara Bank, his mother, Revathi, was a professional veena player. Not everyone is aware of the fact that Nikhil is a school dropout. For the uninitiated, Nikhil dropped out of school after class 10 and never pursued a formal degree. During one of his WTF podcasts, he was asked to explain why he decided to quit school, and he revealed that he had gone to a terrible school and hated going there. He said:
“I went to a terrible school. I hated my school, hated my teachers, grew up being scared of things I should not have been scared of. I was probably scared of my class teacher, this teacher, that teacher…stopped going to school beyond the 10th… I didn’t go to school, I started working and stuff like that.”
After dropping out of school, Nikhil Kamath started self-education. The entrepreneur used to read whatever he could get his hands on, and after some years, he landed his first job in Bengaluru. Nikhil joined a call centre and started earning Rs. 8000 per month at the age of 17. He used to work at the call centre from 4 PM to 1 AM and learnt about trading in the morning. In the following years, his father gave him some of his savings to use in trading.
After working at the call centre for some years and trying his hand at trading, in 2010, Nikhil Kamath co-founded Zerodha with his brother, Nithin Kamath, and the rest is history. According to multiple reports, it was in October 2023 when Nikhil officially became India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 37.
It was a massive moment in his journey because Nikhil Kamath didn’t complete his schooling and never went to college, but still, he achieved what many degree holders failed to achieve. According to multiple reports, Nikhil has an estimated net worth of Rs. 25,860 crores. If the reports are to be believed, Nikhil Kamath’s co-owned company, Zerodha, is worth more than Rs. 64,800 crore.
Nikhil Kamath’s alleged affairs: From dating Miss World 2017 pageant Manushi Chillar to Bollywood actress, Rhea Chakraborty
Zerodha’s co-founder, Nikhil Kamath, is currently dating no one. Although rumours suggest that he is secretly leading a healthy relationship with Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, neither has confirmed it openly yet. It was in August 2023, when they were spotted riding a motorbike in Mumbai. In January 2025, a Bengaluru techie reported seeing them together at a cafe in Goa’s Assagao.
Before Nikhil Kamath reportedly started dating Rhea Chakraborty, the entrepreneur was linked with Miss World 2017 pageant, Manushi Chillar back in 2021. If the reports are to be believed, Manushi and Nikhil were spotted hanging out together at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and on the streets of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The two never confirmed their relationship and reportedly parted ways abruptly at some point.
Nikhil Kamath’s lesser-known wedding with Amanda Puravankara and eventual divorce
Not everyone knows that Nikhil Kamath was once married to a lady named Amanda Puravankara. The Zerodha co-founder tied the marital knot with Amanda on April 18, 2019, but after spending a few months together, they parted ways in the same year. The reason behind their divorce isn’t known to this day. We hope Nikhil continues to achieve new heights professionally and uncover the mystery around his dating life.
What are your thoughts on Nikhil Kamath’s journey from dropping out of school to becoming India’s youngest billionaire? Let us know.
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