Last Updated on May 4, 2021 by Gowtham
Nikhil Kamath is a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur known for co-founding Zerodha, an Indian institutional brokerage firm and trading platform. During his childhood, Nikhil had to travel a lot due to his father’s bank job. At the age of nine, he shifted to Bangalore and settled there with his family. While he was in school, he used to participate in chess competitions at the state and national level. In an interview with CNBC, he said,
Chess teaches you how to work under a structure in a system, but yet try and be creative within that system.”
After dropping out, Nikhil managed to get a job at a call centre at the age of 17 for a salary of meagre Rs 8000. Reportedly, he had to produce a fake birth certificate as the age requirement for that job was 18 years. He did night shifts at the call centre from 4 pm to 1 am and started stock trading in the morning. During this time, he moved out of his parents’ house and lived with his girlfriend.
Zerodha became India’s biggest trading platform during the COVID-19 lockdown, with its user base increasing by 100% every month. The biggest selling of Zerodha is that a nominal fee of Rs. 20 is charged for every intra day trade, irrespective of its size.
Nikhil Kamath Biography
In 2020, Nikhil became one of India’s youngest billionaire at the age of 34.
| Nickname | Nik |
| Profession(s) | Entrepreneur, Trader, Investor |
| Known For | Being the co-founder of the Indian financial services company Zerodha |
Nikhil Kamath Physical Stats
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 175 cm in meters– 1.75 m in feet & inches– 5’ 9” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Nikhil Kamath Personal Life
| Date of Birth | 5 September 1986 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2020) | 34 Years |
| Birthplace | Shimoga, Karnataka |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Shimoga, Karnataka |
| School | Oxford Senior Secondary School in JP Nagar, Bangalore |
| Educational Qualification | High School drop out |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Gaud Saraswat Brahmin |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Address | Kingfisher Towers, Bangalore |
| Hobbies | Painting, Playing Guitar |
| Tattoo(s) | • A tattoo on the left wrist that reads ‘Shalom’ in English and Hebrew • A tattoo on the right arm that reads ‘BE HERE NOW’ |
Nikhil Kamath Family Details
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 18 April 2019 |
| Marriage Place | Florence, Italy |
| Wife/Spouse | Amanda Puravankara (Director at Provident Housing Ltd, Bangalore) |
| Parents | Father– Raghuram Kamath (Retired from Canara Bank)
Mother– Revathi Kamath (Environmentalist and Veena player) |
| Siblings | Brother– Nithin Kamath (Elder; Co-founder of Zerodha; image in aprents’ section) |
Nikhil Kamath Net Worth
| Net Worth | • His net worth is Rs 7,100 crore (as of 2020) • According to Forbes, the accumulative net worth of the Kamath brothers is $1.55B (INR 11,600 crores) |
About Zerodha
In 2019, the team of Zerodha started another asset management company called True Beacon. The company focuses on investing in the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) space. The $2 million investment fund generated a 40% return in its first year by investing in volatile markets.