Small Habit That Changed Their Finances: Before Rs 1200 crore net worth, Vivek Oberoi's father taught him money managment lessons as a kid

Actor-turned-businessman Vivek Oberoi has often spoken about his journey from Bollywood to entrepreneurship, but the financial discipline behind his business career was taught to him many years before he became an actor. His father, veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, had introduced him to money management and business while he was still a child.

In an interview with Outlook, Vivek recalled learning the basics of how to handle money along with “debit and credit” when he was around 11 or 12. His father made him maintain accounts and understand the value of money from an early age.

Vivek is now reported to have built an empire worth around ₹1,200 crore. His early lessons, however, were less about becoming wealthy and more about understanding how money should be managed.

His father's financial teachings

Vivek said his father's approach to money was shaped by the family's history. His grandfather had lost everything during Partition, which taught Suresh Oberoi not to take financial security for granted.

That attitude was passed on to Vivek and his siblings.

“Even though my father was very successful, he was extremely disciplined about money,” Vivek told Outlook. He recalled that his family travelled by train, used buses and managed pocket money carefully despite living comfortably.

At the same time, his father did not believe in avoiding spending altogether. Vivek said his father valued experiences and was willing to spend on them, creating what he described as a balance between discipline and enjoying life.

At 10, he was selling products door to door

The financial lessons were accompanied by practical business experience.

In a conversation on the Dubai Property Insider podcast, Vivek recalled that his father would give him a product and ask him to work out an entire plan for selling it. He eventually went door to door to sell products, learning the basics of business from around the age of 10.

Entertainment Live reported a similar account involving perfumes when Vivek recalled carrying inventory in his school bag and going around on his bicycle to sell the products. His father allowed him to keep the additional money earned when he sold them above the set price.

“I made mistakes but learned a lot,” he said. The exercise exposed him to inventory, pricing, sales and profit while he was still in school.

Rs 500 pocket-money lesson

Another important lesson came when Vivek was around 15 or 16. According to his account to NDTV Profit, his father fixed his pocket money at ₹500 a month while he was at Mayo College.

Vivek said that during his first week or 10 days in college, he spent his entire month's allowance on a first date.

His father's response was to make him live with the consequence rather than give him more money.

“He said, you had to manage your budget, and you messed it up. You suffer it now. So you figure out how,” Vivek recalled.

The experience taught him that having money and managing money were two different things.

From making money to building wealth

Vivek later began experimenting with businesses and investments. He recalled developing a product concept called “Care Bear Arch Bears” as a teenager, taking it through sourcing, manufacturing and launch. He said the venture eventually generated around ₹21,000-₹22,000 in net profit in a single day at a time when his monthly pocket money was ₹500.

That experience made him interested in understanding how money could be invested and grown.

His philosophy eventually evolved beyond simply earning profits. Speaking to NDTV Profit in 2025, Vivek said he places greater importance on assets and long-term wealth.

“I realised very quickly that I don't care about money as much as I care about assets,” he said.

He also described the distinction he makes when evaluating business opportunities, whether someone wants to “make money” or “build wealth.”