Meet actor who once sold products door to door, one film changed his life, became a star, was called ‘next Shah Rukh Khan', built Rs 1200 core business, he is…
He may have entered Bollywood with Ram Gopal Varma's Company (2002), but Vivek Oberoi's biggest role has unfolded far beyond the silver screen.
While many remember him for films like Saathiya and Masti, few know that this actor-turned-entrepreneur built a business empire worth Rs 1200 crore, largely without help, not even from his superstar father, Suresh Oberoi. Despite being born into a film family, Vivek's journey was anything but privileged.
In a recent podcast interview, the actor peeled back the layers of his public persona to reveal a sharply honed business mind, one that took root when he was just 10. At an age when most kids were lost in video games, Vivek was busy selling door-to-door and pitching marketing strategies to his father.
'Dad would bring home a product and ask me to make a business plan. Then he'd quiz me — 'How will you sell this?' That's how I learned,' Vivek shared.
But there was no silver spoon. In his own words, 'He told me, 'I'm rich. You're not. You'll become rich — but on your own.'
The words stuck. By the age of 19, Vivek had already earned $3 million for his first company. He sold it four years later at 23. Today, he claims to have taken nine companies public in the Indian stock market and is preparing to launch four more.
On the professional front, Vivek hasn't delivered many hits lately. His last prominent appearance was in PM Narendra Modi (2019), where he played the lead role. In 2024, he appeared in the historical action film Kesari Veer alongside Suniel Shetty and Sooraj Pancholi, though the project didn't make major waves. For now, his film calendar appears empty.
But even without a blockbuster, Vivek Oberoi is far from irrelevant. His sharp pivot from screen to stocks has redefined his legacy, one built not on box office numbers but on boardroom deals.
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