No IIT, IIM, Rs 100-crore startup. Former techie reveals secret to building Rs 15 crore crore networth and retiring at 47: 'It's boring but....'

No inheritance, no successful billion dollar startup, no fancy degrees from IIT, IIM or Ivy League universities. Yet, Vivek Waman retired at age 47 with an admirable net worth of Rs 15 crore. After an illustrious career that involved holding senior roles in bigshot companies such as Accenture, Wipro etc, Waman achieved financial freedom at the age of 47.

During a recent appearance on the 1% Club podcast, Waman shared with host Shreya Hegde that his family's combined net worth had already reached approximately ₹15 crore by 2021. He noted that this was significantly higher than the ₹10 crore financial target he had originally set as sufficient for retirement. Since then, his wealth has continued to grow steadily despite fluctuations in the financial markets. According to Waman, his family's net worth has now crossed the ₹20 crore mark, highlighting the long-term success of his investment strategy and disciplined approach to building wealth.

He revealed he spent 24 years in the field of IT consulting and retired in 2021, to float his own financial services business.


In the podcast, he revealed he built his wealth by saving. A lot of his wealth came from wise investment. “It required patience, discipline and consistent investing over a long period. Investing is often compared to watching paint dry or grass grow. It's boring, but that's exactly what long-term investing is supposed to be..” he said.

Waman encouraged young professionals to view learning as a lifelong commitment rather than something limited to the early years of their careers. He explained that continuously developing new knowledge and upgrading skills can significantly improve career prospects and create greater opportunities for higher earnings over time.

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a modest lifestyle even as income grows. Instead of allowing spending habits to rise alongside salary increases, he advised people to keep their expenses under control so they can save and invest a larger portion of their earnings.

In addition, Waman recommended seeking guidance from a trusted financial expert to build a well-structured investment strategy based on individual life goals. He stressed that disciplined financial planning, combined with patience, allows investments to benefit from the power of long-term compounding. According to him, avoiding unnecessary withdrawals and staying invested consistently are essential for building lasting wealth over the years.

As per his LinkedIn profile Waman has a degree in engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University and an MBA from KJ Somaiya Institute Of Management.