Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath reveals his salary in first job. Ruchir Sharma’s will blow your mind

In a recent candid discussion, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and author-investor Ruchir Sharma revisited their early career days, reflecting on their first paychecks and the starkly different paths they began with. Kamath recalled earning a modest salary of just $1,000 annually, close to Rs 88,000, while working at a Bangalore-based call center in the early 2000s. In sharp contrast, Sharma shared how, at just 22 in 1996, he was offered a lucrative job by Morgan Stanley in India that paid him $100,000 per year—an amount that equals Rs 88 lakh currently.

Ruchir’s Turning Point in the 1990s

Sharma, who has since become a globally recognized name in finance, described how Morgan Stanley identified his potential during its early years in India. At that stage, he was considering pursuing a PhD, but the Wall Street giant persuaded him to enter the corporate world instead. Presented with the choice between academic pursuits and immediate financial success, he opted for the latter. The offer, worth a small fortune in the mid-1990s, marked a dramatic shift in his life.

Kamath, listening to this journey, expressed admiration at the contrast between their beginnings. While Sharma was already building a career with one of the most powerful investment firms in the world, Kamath was working night shifts at a call center in Bangalore, earning a fraction of that amount five years later.

Academic Foundation and Career Growth

Ruchir Sharma’s professional trajectory was shaped by a strong academic and journalistic base. An alumnus of Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, he began writing for business dailies while still being a student. His analytical writing style and understanding of markets drew the attention of Morgan Stanley, which recruited him for its Mumbai office in 1996.

By 2002, Sharma relocated to New York, further advancing within the company. The following year, he became co-head of the emerging markets team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, and by 2006 he had been promoted to lead the team. A decade later, in 2016, he was also appointed Chief Global Strategist of MSIM, cementing his reputation as one of the sharpest thinkers in global finance.

Acclaimed Author and Global Commentator

Alongside his investment career, Sharma built a parallel reputation as a thought leader through his books and columns. His most recent work, What Went Wrong with Capitalism, earned recognition as one of the Wall Street Journal’s books of the year for its balanced and data-driven critique of economic systems. Earlier works include the bestseller The Rise and Fall of Nations (2016) and Breakout Nations (2012), which won the Tata Literature Live! First Book Award and reached international bestseller lists.

In addition to books, his commentary has appeared in publications such as The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and The Guardian. Currently, Sharma serves as the head of international business at Rockefeller Capital Management, continuing his journey as both a strategist and an influential writer.