For many students, success seems to follow a familiar formula: get good grades in school, get a college degree, get a high-paying job and move up the corporate ladder. Nikhil Kamath A very different route was taken. A school dropout who later co-founded ZerodaKamath, India’s largest retail brokerage, becomes one of the country’s youngest self-made billionaires with no traditional academic qualifications. Yet despite amassing a fortune before he turned 40, he says one of his biggest life lessons didn’t come from business, investing or entrepreneurship. It comes from reading a book.
This book changed his perspective on life
Around the age of 34, Camas read deny deatha Pulitzer Prize-winning work Ernest Becker. This book explores a disturbing but universal idea: Human ambition is largely shaped by our awareness that life is finite. After doing that, Kamath made a simple calculation. Based on the average life span of humans, he estimated that he had about 36 years left to live. This is not a financial exercise or investment forecast. It’s a reminder that time—not money—is the most limited resource we have. This idea fundamentally changed the way he evaluated success, decisions, and priorities. For anyone who has spent years analyzing the market, this is a lesson in understanding life, not numbers.
Five books that shaped his thinking
Kamath often talks about the books that influenced his views, arguing that reading helps him understand people better than balance sheets. His suggestions include Money Psychology go through Morganhauserwhich explains why financial success depends less on intelligence and more on behavior. It believes that patience, discipline and emotional control are more important than predicting the market. Another suggestion is Quietness is the keyWhere Ryan Holiday Explore how calm thinking often leads to better decisions, especially in uncertain times. He also recommended selfish gene,in Richard Dawkins Study how evolution affects human behavior and decision-making. On a completely different topic, Camas recommends reading caste go through Isabel Wilkersonis a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose work examines social hierarchies and inequality among societies. These books cover subjects such as psychology, philosophy, biology, history, and human behavior, and go well beyond finance.
Education doesn’t end with a degree
Kamath’s journey should not be read as an argument against formal education. Instead, it highlights a different truth. Learning doesn’t stop after school or college. Whether a person earns a college degree or not, curiosity remains one of the most valuable assets they can develop. Reading widely can expose one to ideas that may never be covered in class. It challenges assumptions, sharpens judgment, and often changes the way people approach work, relationships, and life itself. For students preparing for competitive exams or planning their careers, this may be the most lasting lesson from Kamath’s story.
The biggest investments aren’t always financial
People often ask successful entrepreneurs about the stocks they bought, the businesses they built, or the risks they took. Kamath’s reading list offers a different perspective. The book that influenced him was not a get-rich-quick manual. Instead, they explore why people make decisions, how emotions influence financial behavior, why society works the way it does, and how recognizing the limits of life can help people focus on what really matters. Perhaps that explains why, despite having built a multibillion-dollar company, one of Kamath’s most prolific lessons has nothing to do with wealth at all. It’s time. Because while money can grow, time never can. Disclaimer: This article is based on Nikhil Kamath’s public interviews, advice and statements. The books mentioned reflect his personal reading preferences and should not be construed as financial, investment or career advice.
