Nikhil Kamath has long been the poster child for the sophisticated, stoic billionaire, but in a raw and wide-ranging conversation with a group of young founders, the Zerodha co-founder just pulled back the curtain on his surprisingly relatable anxieties.
Sitting in the lush, golden hour light of Goa, India’s coastal party paradise, Kamath admitted that despite his massive success, he is actually petrified of the modern dating scene.
The billionaire confessed that the high-pressure environment of trying to impress someone on a date feels like a massive energy drain, leading him to prefer the quiet company of nature over the chaos of dating apps.
The conversation took a deeply personal turn when the topic of marriage was raised by a founder from a traditional family background.
Kamath did not hold back, labelling our modern obsession with marriage as something programmed by Hollywood and Bollywood rather than a sustainable reality.
He noted that the idealistic version of romance we see on screen might work in the short term, but the chemical kick of dopamine and oxytocin inevitably fades.
In his view, relationships are inherently transient, and he urged the young entrepreneurs not to make life-altering decisions based on what their parents or community expect.
One of the most viral moments from the session was Kamath’s defence of hypocrisy. While most people view being a hypocrite as a character flaw, the billionaire argued that hypocrisy and change are actually synonymous.
He told the stunned group that if you believe in one thing today and a completely different thing tomorrow, you should embrace that shift without caring about who holds you accountable to your past self.
This philosophy extends to his view on time, where, at 39 years old, he calculates he only has about 10 truly good New Year’s Eves left, where he is young and healthy enough to enjoy them fully.
The Zerodha founder also gave a rare glimpse into his ultra-private lifestyle, including his annual birthday summits where he gathers 150 of the smartest people in India at a fancy location. The catch? No cameras are allowed, and every guest must surrender their cell phone at the door to ensure the debates remain truly raw and honest.
Between discussing his daily routine of cold plunges, saunas, and a cocktail of supplements, Kamath emphasised that longevity is for himself, while legacy is just something for others to worry about after he is gone.
For those looking to climb the ladder of success, Kamath’s advice was practical and somewhat cynical. He admitted that in his early days, money was his primary focus, and he believes it should be.
Comparing the world to a game of Monopoly, he explained that you simply need chips to play, and the more you have, the more fun the game becomes.
He also urged the founders to hire speech coaches, revealing that he flies in an Israeli expert named Michael to live with him for a week just to master the art of storytelling and negotiation.
