Nikhil Kamath Net Worth at a Glance
- Net worth (May 2026): ₹27,500 crore ($3.3B), Forbes March 2026
- Zerodha co-founder: Joint 60%+ with Nithin; bootstrapped, valued ~$8B
- Modi podcast: January 2025 debut podcast, PM Modi's first podcast ever
- Gruhas + Brigade Earth Fund: ₹300 crore (March 2025, SEBI Cat II AIF)
- Giving Pledge: June 2023, youngest Indian to sign, pledged 50% of wealth
- TIME100 Philanthropy: 2025 list
- Marital status: Single (briefly married to Amanda Puravankara, separated ~2020–21)
How Nikhil Kamath Built His Fortune
Nikhil Kamath dropped out in grade 9 and began trading equities at age 17 from a small setup in Bengaluru. By 19 he was running proprietary trading operations. In 2010, he co-founded Zerodha with brother Nithin Kamath, building India's first flat-fee discount brokerage. The model disrupted the Indian broking industry: instead of percentage-based commission, Zerodha charged a flat ₹20 per order. The business was bootstrapped — no VC funding, ever — and grew to become India's largest retail broker by active clients, handling over 10 million active traders by 2025.
Income Sources in May 2026
Zerodha profit share is the dominant income source. Zerodha's revenue was ₹4,700+ crore in FY24 with profits above ₹2,800 crore; the Kamath brothers jointly hold 60%+ and no institutional shareholders take a cut. True Beacon AIF (founded 2020) charges ultra-HNI management and performance fees. Gruhas generates property investment returns and fund-management fees. Podcast monetisation and brand partnerships on the WTF platform. Rainmatter Capital deploys capital and earns returns on 47 startup positions.
Real Estate and Notable Assets
Nikhil Kamath's personal real estate is deliberately low-profile, consistent with a publicly stated minimalist approach. He is understood to own residential property in Bengaluru, the city where Zerodha is based, but specific valuations are not in the public record. The Gruhas entity's real estate investments run into hundreds of crores but are held in the fund structure, not personally.
Business Stakes and Investments in 2026
Zerodha: co-promoter with Nithin Kamath, joint 60%+ stake; valued ~$8 billion; bootstrapped, no external funding. True Beacon AIF: alternative investment fund for ultra-HNIs, founded 2020; co-founded with Sebi-registered portfolio manager. Gruhas: proptech and real-estate investment firm, 50-plus portfolio companies; co-founded with Abhijeet Pai; March 2025 ₹300 crore Earth Fund with Brigade Group (SEBI Category II AIF). Rainmatter Capital: 47 startups funded, ₹275 crore-plus deployed; includes Smallcase, Streak, Sensibull, and fintech infrastructure plays. WTF / People by WTF: podcast and media platform.
Recent Wealth Highlights (2025–2026)
- March 2026: Forbes confirmed $3.3B; only Indian on global Forbes 40 Under 40
- March 2025: Gruhas + Brigade Group ₹300 crore Earth Fund launched (SEBI Cat II AIF)
- January 2025: PM Modi's debut podcast on WTF platform — India's biggest podcast moment
- 2025: Named to TIME100 Philanthropy list
- June 2023: Signed Giving Pledge, youngest Indian to do so, pledging 50% of wealth
Where Does Nikhil Kamath Rank Among India's Wealthiest People?
At ₹27,500 crore ($3.3 billion), Nikhil Kamath ranks comfortably in India's top-100 individual wealth holders. He is the youngest person in the club and the first billionaire to have built their fortune primarily through a zero-institutional-funding bootstrapped fintech. His brother Nithin Kamath (joint Zerodha co-promoter) holds a comparable position; together the Kamath family controls one of the most unusual billionaire formations in global tech: a bootstrapped profit machine with no VC exit event.
Net Worth in Indian Rupees: What ₹27,500 Crore Looks Like
₹27,500 crore is approximately 2.5 times Shah Rukh Khan's net worth (₹10,800 crore) and 20 times Virat Kohli's (₹1,115 crore). The composition: Zerodha equity at ₹22,000–24,000 crore, Gruhas and real estate fund positions at ₹1,500–2,000 crore, True Beacon and Rainmatter positions at ₹1,000–1,500 crore, and liquid/cash at ₹1,000 crore. The Giving Pledge commitment to donate 50% will ultimately transfer ₹13,000+ crore to charitable causes. Use the WorthScale Net Worth Calculator to understand how equity concentration compares to diversification in building your own plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nikhil Kamath's net worth in May 2026 is approximately ₹27,500 crore ($3.3 billion), confirmed by Forbes in March 2026. He is the only Indian on the global Forbes 40 Under 40 list in that cycle.
Nikhil Kamath interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2025 on his WTF (People by WTF) podcast. It was Modi's debut podcast appearance. The two-hour conversation covered India Stack, Viksit Bharat 2047, and India's digital economy ambitions.
Gruhas is Nikhil Kamath's proptech and real-estate investment platform, co-founded with Abhijeet Pai. It has invested in 50-plus companies across real estate technology, construction, and adjacent sectors. In March 2025, Gruhas partnered with Brigade Group to launch a ₹300 crore Earth Fund, a SEBI Category II AIF focused on climate-conscious real estate.
Yes. In June 2023, Nikhil Kamath became the youngest Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, committing to donate 50 percent of his lifetime wealth to philanthropy. In 2025, he was named to TIME's TIME100 Philanthropy list.
Nikhil Kamath was born on 5 September 1987, making him 38 years old in May 2026. He dropped out in grade 9 and began trading at 17, co-founding Zerodha with his brother Nithin Kamath in 2010.
Nikhil Kamath was briefly married to Amanda Puravankara (of the Puravankara real estate family) and the couple separated around 2020–21. He has been single since then and has not publicised any subsequent relationship.