The legend called Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and why it isn’t easy to replicate his success

Getty Images

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

Synopsis
Over the past 35 years, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala clocked an annual return of 54% at a total net worth of USD6 billion, while Sensex has returned 15% annually during the same period. He took concentrated bets and had a keen eye in identifying the big idea, which would deliver in the longer term. Will the stock market find its next Jhunjhunwala?

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who passed away on August 14 at the age of 62, was an eclectic investor. He was unconventional, took high risks, and was ace at understanding the market psychology. More importantly, he took concentrated bets. He operated on his own and made spectacular amount of money -- a feat that is unbeatable in the Indian market. Ramesh Damani, himself an ace investor and a close friend of Jhunjhunwala, told one news channel that over