How Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu and Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath transfer middle class values to their kids

Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu and Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath

The CEOs of both Zoho and Zerodha grew up in middle class families before they turned into billionaire businessmen. Speaking to Moneycontrol, two of India's rare new-age entrepreneurs said they would like their children to imbibe the same values.

In conversation with Tech, Startup and New Economy editor Chandra R Srikanth on Moneycontrol Masterclass, Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu said the children in the family grew up learning from the ordinary taste that he and his siblings had.

"I try to shield my children from excessive displays of wealth," he said. "It also helped that it was only during their late teen years the business grew substantially. So they did grow up with middle-class values."

The Zoho CEO added that his children know that they would have to earn their living. "Nobody in the family assumes that they have some wealth that they can draw from. They all want to work for their living. That's the mindset I have inculcated in them."

Read more: Zoho's Sridhar Vembu reveals he doesn't have a brokerage account. Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath responds

Vembu also said that the kids have learned by the example set by the elders in the family who have ordinary taste.

#MCMasterclass How do @svembu and @Nithin0dha transfer middle class values to their children?

Listen in to find out @zoho@zerodhaonline@chandrarsrikantpic.twitter.com/yk9EWJlcXo — Moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) April 4, 2022

Pitching in, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha said that although his son is only six, there have already been challenges set by the terms "billionaire" and "unicorn".

"I hate the 'billionaire' and 'unicorn' stories because it creates a wrong image and affects everyone around us like my son's friends, his teachers, our neighbours -- they look at us in a different way," Kamath said.

"I used to play basketball with the kids and now they don't look at me like a competitor. They treat me like a billionaire who can't be hurt. They even maintain a two-foot distance from me and are very gentle," he said adding that people react differently when the valuations come into play.

Missed Moneycontrol Masterclass?  Watch the top bosses of Zoho and Zerodha at their candid best here.