'He won ₹5 crore on KBC': Financial planner shares a sobering lesson on what’s harder than making money

What’s harder than making money? Keeping it—says Tapas Chakraborty, a wealth advisor and financial planning expert, whose recent post on LinkedIn is winning attention not just for its emotional resonance but also for the striking lesson it carries.

In his now widely shared post, Chakraborty writes, “Sushil Kumar won ₹5 crore on KBC. Overnight, a household name. But within years, he lost it all.” The tone is reflective, the insight sharp. Using the well-known story of Kaun Banega Crorepati’s 2011 ₹5-crore winner, Chakraborty drives home a message that’s often overlooked in a world obsessed with instant success: financial abundance without guidance is short-lived.

The Real Price of Unplanned Wealth

In his LinkedIn post, Chakraborty explains that Kumar’s rapid fall from financial grace was not due to extravagance alone, but a cocktail of “bad advice, impulse donations, too many events, too little direction.” His post concludes with a line that has clearly resonated with readers: “Money without a map… never lasts.”


For Chakraborty, financial planning isn’t just about numbers—it’s about clarity and intent. His message is simple: whether you win ₹5 crore or earn ₹50,000 a month, without structure, professional advice, and emotional discipline, even the biggest fortune can fade away faster than you think.

The reference to Sushil Kumar—who reportedly once told a journalist that he had resorted to selling milk to survive—serves as a cautionary tale, but also as a metaphor. Though Kumar later became a teacher and began a quiet life of environmental work, his story underscores that money, if not managed well, can be both a gift and a burden.

The post struck a chord not just because of the example it used, but because of how universal the lesson is. At a time when millions chase financial success through startups, stock trading, or game shows of fate, Chakraborty’s words bring everyone back to an inconvenient truth: “To build wealth, all you need is planning, clarity, and realism.”

A Wake-Up Call for Dreamers

In highlighting Kumar’s fall—not to sensationalize it, but to contextualize it—Chakraborty paints a bigger picture. Making money, he says, is only the beginning. The real challenge lies in understanding what to do once you have it.

“Because ₹5 crore or ₹50 lakhs—without the right hands guiding it, it can slip away fast.”

The takeaway? Money can make headlines. But financial wisdom makes legacies.