What Happened
Recently, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath dropped a short, black-and-white teaser video on X (formerly Twitter) hinting that Elon Musk would appear on his podcast WTF is?. The clip, showing them casually sipping coffee in what appears to be a factory or industrial setting, went viral within hours. Millions watched it, thousands commented, and the internet literally “went into overdrive.” The Tribune+2www.ndtv.com+2
People are calling it “the peak of podcasting” ,a meeting of two giants of entrepreneurship from different worlds, uniting in one conversation. The Economic Times+2Hindustan Times+2
This blog explains who these two are, why they matter especially for India, and what Gen-Z can learn from their rise.
Who is Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath (born 5 September 1986) is an Indian entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded Zerodha ,India’s now-famous discount brokerage platform along with his brother.
As of 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth to be around US $2.6 billion, making him one of India’s richest self-made entrepreneurs.
His journey is remarkable because he dropped out of school after 10th grade, had no formal advanced degree, yet built one of India’s leading financial-services companies with minimal hand-holding and maximum risk.
Beyond Zerodha, Kamath co-founded True Beacon (an asset management firm), and another firm called Gruhas that invests in growth-stage startups across climate tech, sustainability, and prop-tech. Wikipedia
In 2024, he committed to donating 50% of his wealth to charitable causes (education, health, climate), aligning with global philanthropist-entrepreneurs.
Who is Elon Musk
Elon Musk, born on 28 June 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa, is a globally renowned entrepreneur and inventor. Wikipedia, Jagranjosh.com
He co-founded early ventures like Zip2 and X.com (which became PayPal), sold them, and used the resources to start groundbreaking companies like SpaceX and Tesla , redefining space travel and sustainable transport globally. vedantu.com, Forbes
Musk is known for his ability to combine first-principles thinking + audacious vision, imagining what conventional wisdom says is impossible and then building from the ground up. Encyclopedia Britannica+2EBSCO+2
His achievements include making Tesla the face of electric vehicles worldwide, launching SpaceX rockets, and more recently pushing into AI, satellite internet, and high-tech innovation, often challenging the status quo. Tesla+
Over decades, through enormous failures and successes , Musk has built a brand that stands for disruption, ambition, and breaking limits.
Icons redefining ambition for Gen-Z
Elon Musk and Nikhil Kamath together capture the imagination of India because they represent two sides of ambition Musk, the global visionary reshaping transportation, space and technology, and Kamath, the Indian self-made success story who went from a call-centre job to building a fintech empire. With Kamath’s announcement that Musk may appear on his “WTF is?” podcast (a teaser that already went viral with millions of views) India Today+2Moneycontrol+2, the buzz isn’t just about celebrity.
It’s about possibility: if you dream big, work smart, and stay persistent, from India you can connect with the world’s most influential minds. For Gen-Z, their journey teaches that you don’t need elite pedigree or perfect credentials, what matters is grit, curiosity, and readiness to reimagine “what’s possible.” When someone like Kamath brings a global icon like Musk to Indian ears, it sends a signal: your background doesn’t define you — your ideas and hustle do.