Nikhil Kamath: From high school dropout to billionaire finance entrepreneur

The Path is a video series where I chat with some of the most influential leaders in the world exploring the successes, missteps, and key pivotal moments that shaped their professional paths. It’s through these authentic stories that we can learn how to navigate our own career journeys.

My guest this week is Nikhil Kamath.

Nikhil is a self-made billionaire whose path to success combined tactical rule-breaking with a passion to put the tools for wealth creation in the hands of everyone.

He went from being a 16-year-old high school dropout to co-founding one of India’s largest trading platforms. Zerodha 's low-fee service was a platform for the masses and now has nearly eight million users. Then came True Beacon, an investment management firm with a zero-fee model, only profiting when clients do. And then, in 2021, he co-founded Gruhas, a venture capital firm focused on supporting startups in sectors like AI, climate, and media.

His business education had humble beginnings. Around the 9th grade Nikhil got his hands on a cellphone and sold it. He got others, and a side hustle was born. But then he hit an unexpected wall, like so many entrepreneurs do: His mother found out about it and flushed his entire inventory down the toilet. 

As a dropout he took what for almost anyone else would have been a soul-crushing job: Night shift at a call center. But between customer service he taught himself how to trade stocks. His boss was impressed. So impressed that he asked Nikhil to invest for him. Another co-worker got wind of this and wanted in on the action. And then another.

It wasn't long before Nikhil was managing investments for his entire team, making more on commissions than from his actual job.

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.

Here are my takeaways from our conversation:

Failure is a success accelerator

Most entrepreneurs will tell you they learn from their mistakes. Not many claim they only learn from them. But Nikhil believes self-assurance is not a winning strategy. "I think I've learned everything I have learned only through failures," Nikhil told me. "I don't think success teaches much outside of creating an ecosystem where it is easier for you to get complacent."

Relationships don't matter as much a fresh perspective

A lot of Nikhil’s success comes down to two things: Being an outsider, and a relentless drive to rewrite the rules. Dropping out of high school at a young age pulled him off the conventional path and set him on a journey where his instincts became his strongest skill. This outsider’s perspective helped him see where the system fell short — and how he could build something better around it.

Always be learning, but don't fear what you don't know

Niklhil redefined what it means to manage wealth, breaking down barriers for everyday people across India while also creating tools for high-net-worth individuals. But although instinct is his superpower, he stays open to learning from those around him and from what the world has to offer.

Sometimes the greatest advantage is not knowing enough to think the audacious is impossible — seeing what the mainstream ignores or discounts. Trust yourself to see what others can’t and build the future only you envision.