Although he was a big name in the 2000s, Vivek Oberoi couldn’t sustain the momentum in his acting career and slowly lost relevance as a leading man. However, outside of acting, the ‘Saathiya’ star amassed a fortune of a whopping Rs 1200 crore. His journey beyond the screen began not in fancy offices or elite business schools, but on the streets outside his college.
In an interview with NDTV Profit, the actor shared that his earliest lessons in finance and investment came from an unlikely mentor—a small shopkeeper who ran a paan and bidi stall near his college campus. This local vendor, affectionately called Sada, unknowingly sparked Vivek’s lifelong fascination with the financial world.
Learning Finance from the Streets
Vivek recalled that his interactions with the shopkeeper were not mere conversations about profit and loss; they were a hands-on education in money management and collaborative business thinking. He learned the fundamentals of stock rotation, small-scale investment, and financial cooperation—what he later described as a “dolphin version” of microfinancing, a system that emphasized mutual growth over ruthless competition.
The partnership worked so well that Vivek began earning monthly returns of nearly six to seven percent on his modest investments. But his experience wasn’t without setbacks. There were months when he lost money, yet instead of being discouraged, he focused on regaining his capital in subsequent cycles. Over time, he expanded his microfinancing reach to include local vendors—those selling dosas, tea, and other snacks—thus becoming an informal financier for the small business ecosystem around him.
Early Risks and Valuable Lessons
Eager to deepen his financial understanding, Vivek eventually began frequenting the stock market as a teenager. There, he apprenticed under a seasoned broker and immersed himself in the dynamics of trading, stocks, and investments. However, he admitted that once his acting career took off, his financial discipline weakened. Easy money from ribbon-cutting ceremonies and appearances momentarily replaced his structured investment mindset.
Yet, the most valuable lesson of his life came when he was just 17 or 18. Believing he had found a golden opportunity, he invested heavily without proper research or due diligence. The result was disastrous—he lost nearly 70% of the portfolio he had patiently built over two and a half years. This setback, he revealed, taught him the importance of caution, research, and emotional balance in financial decision-making. From that point onward, he vowed never to make impulsive moves again.
Turning Frustration into Forward Motion
When asked why he shifted his focus to business ventures at one stage, Vivek reflected on a period of personal and professional frustration. He explained that he often felt as though his efforts to progress were constantly being undermined—every step forward was followed by two steps back. Instead of surrendering to self-pity, he chose to redefine the game.
He described this mindset shift as moving “sideways” rather than “forward”—a strategy that allowed him to create new avenues for success instead of fighting a losing battle in one direction. This philosophy became the cornerstone of his business empire, helping him build multiple ventures while maintaining long-term stability and growth.
In an interview with NDTV Profit, the actor shared that his earliest lessons in finance and investment came from an unlikely mentor—a small shopkeeper who ran a paan and bidi stall near his college campus. This local vendor, affectionately called Sada, unknowingly sparked Vivek’s lifelong fascination with the financial world.
Learning Finance from the Streets
Vivek recalled that his interactions with the shopkeeper were not mere conversations about profit and loss; they were a hands-on education in money management and collaborative business thinking. He learned the fundamentals of stock rotation, small-scale investment, and financial cooperation—what he later described as a “dolphin version” of microfinancing, a system that emphasized mutual growth over ruthless competition.
The partnership worked so well that Vivek began earning monthly returns of nearly six to seven percent on his modest investments. But his experience wasn’t without setbacks. There were months when he lost money, yet instead of being discouraged, he focused on regaining his capital in subsequent cycles. Over time, he expanded his microfinancing reach to include local vendors—those selling dosas, tea, and other snacks—thus becoming an informal financier for the small business ecosystem around him.
Early Risks and Valuable Lessons
Eager to deepen his financial understanding, Vivek eventually began frequenting the stock market as a teenager. There, he apprenticed under a seasoned broker and immersed himself in the dynamics of trading, stocks, and investments. However, he admitted that once his acting career took off, his financial discipline weakened. Easy money from ribbon-cutting ceremonies and appearances momentarily replaced his structured investment mindset.
Yet, the most valuable lesson of his life came when he was just 17 or 18. Believing he had found a golden opportunity, he invested heavily without proper research or due diligence. The result was disastrous—he lost nearly 70% of the portfolio he had patiently built over two and a half years. This setback, he revealed, taught him the importance of caution, research, and emotional balance in financial decision-making. From that point onward, he vowed never to make impulsive moves again.
Turning Frustration into Forward Motion
When asked why he shifted his focus to business ventures at one stage, Vivek reflected on a period of personal and professional frustration. He explained that he often felt as though his efforts to progress were constantly being undermined—every step forward was followed by two steps back. Instead of surrendering to self-pity, he chose to redefine the game.
He described this mindset shift as moving “sideways” rather than “forward”—a strategy that allowed him to create new avenues for success instead of fighting a losing battle in one direction. This philosophy became the cornerstone of his business empire, helping him build multiple ventures while maintaining long-term stability and growth.
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