Rs 8k as 1st pay to a Rs 100 cr donation. Who is this tycoon?

By Moneycontrol.com Image source: nikhilkamathcio/Instagram

Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath is in an elite leage with Azim Premji, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Rohini and Nandan Nilekani as the fourth, and youngest Indian to pledge their wealth to charity

Kamath, 35, is the co-founder of Zerodha- India’s biggest stock brokerage in terms of volume of trade. His estimated net worth is reportedly $3.45 billion.

Kamath, via ‘The Giving Pledge’, supports causes such as climate change, energy, education, and health. “Despite my age, I am committed to positively impacting the world," said Kamath in his pledge letter.

Nikhil along with brother and Zerodha co-founder Nithin donated Rs100 crore of personal wealth in 2022. The Kamath brothers’ combined net worth is a staggering 3.45 billion dollars (more than Rs 28,000 crore). 

At 17, Nikhil began working at a call centre. With a salary of Rs 8,000 per month, he started trading stocks, but it wasn’t until a year later that he truly committed to trading. 

His true journey in stock trading began at the age of 18 when his father gave him some of his savings and asked him to manage it. Following Zerodha, Nikhil Kamath started asset management firm True Beacon. He also started the fintech incubator Rainmatter.