The risks involved in investing can be discouraging for anyone including NRIs who are looking to build their wealth through investments. However, there are countless investors who have achieved great success by taking calculated risks, making informed decisions, and staying committed to their goals.
Real-life investment success stories are an excellent source of inspiration and motivation for those who aspire to build their wealth through investing. These stories offer valuable insights into the investment strategies, techniques, and philosophies that have worked for successful investors.
In this post, we will explore some of the most compelling real-life investment success stories about people from different walks of life, generations, and investment profiles.
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First Story of Missed Opportunity
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway made its first investment in Apple Inc only in the year 2016. Though Apple has since given a great performance, from a closing price of $26.3 on 31 December 2015 to $131.9 on Christmas Eve of 2022. Even without adjusting for dividends, splits, bonuses and other corporate actions, Apple stock gave more than 5x returns in 7 years!
But that’s not all. Had they invested in Apple just after the launch of their game-changing iPhone launched in 2007, they could have bought the stock at a measly price of $7 (as on 31 December 2007). In that case, their returns could have been 18x!
Second Story of Missed Opportunity
This is even more tragic than the first one if you consider the amount of information Warren had and the returns he could have made. Warren Buffett and ex-chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates have been friends since the mid-1990s. Hypothetically, if he had taken a position in the Microsoft stock at the closing price of $5.48 as on 31 December 1995, then he would have made more than 43x returns in just 27 years!!
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A Success Story of a Late Bloomer
One retiree from a central government job started investing beyond post office schemes and bank FDs only when he turned 77! With conservative and disciplined investment in great mutual fund schemes, he was able to create a legacy that he could leave for his children and grandchildren when he passed away after 12 years. The simplicity of his investment process and the clarity with which he made investment decisions are still being followed by his successors and they are enjoying the benefits.
Another Late Bloomer, but this time a Unicorn
The founder of this Unicorn was an IIM-A alumnus with a plush job as the head of a large private bank. She was making all the right moves to climb up the corporate ladder when at 50 she decided to quit her job and go all in with her idea of building an online fashion brand. The conviction and perseverance made her company the first Indian unicorn led by a woman. We are talking about Falguni Nayar of Naykaa.
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An Unusual Millionaire
Grace Groner died at the age of 99 in 2010 a millionaire worth $8 million. She even donated a sum of $7 million to her alma mater Lake Forest College posthumously. It is easy to assume that she was born into wealth or got married into a wealthy family. But it was nothing like that.
Grace was born into a lower-income farming family in Illinois, orphaned at the age of 12, adopted by a local resident with her twin sister, received humble education, and never married. In 1943 she purchased shares worth $360 from her savings at Abbott Labs, where she worked for 43 years. The shares split many times over as the company progressed, and she always reinvested dividends received on those shares.
Grace followed a simple rule that ash been known to us for generations – live within your means. She had few needs and led a life of frugality saving all that she could from her meagre salary. Following this simple rule and the patience to hold on to the shares of a great company – not selling them at the many peaks that the stock witnessed over the years – were her greatest tools in compounding.
Our Client’s Stories that May inspire you
Mr. Yogendra Sharma was an NRI. He lived and worked in Singapore for a few years. He then returned to India primarily due to the fact that his parents were getting old and he wanted to be with his near and dear ones. Hemant spoke to him about different aspects of life apart from the financial aspects.
Dipali Shares Her Life’s Experiences As An OCI. I remember that Dipali was our first OCI client & definitely that day in 2011 – I would have google “QROPS or UK Pension”. I have learned a lot from working with her – professionally & personally.
The Common Thread
If we consider what is the common thread going through all these stories is the simple fact that every one – from a world-renowned billionaire to a simple retiree or a secretary avoided what they didn’t understand. They backed an idea with all conviction when they were sure about it, but not until then.
Whether it was not buying the stock of a tech business that was out of the circle of competence of one, investing in mutual funds at a late stage, or even suppressing the temptation of selling the winner even if there is no need for the funds! They all avoided doing things that they didn’t understand.
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The (Common) Misconception
The most common misconception among people is that they believe that to be a successful investor they need super technical skills or need some sort of insider information. Another common misconception is that people with exceptional intelligence can do the best stock selection. Also, it needs a continuous churning of the portfolio, selling the stocks when they rally, and looking for penny stocks to make exceptional returns.
It turns out that, with the right mindset and guidance, anyone can become a successful investor. Most successful investors agree that a good investor is aware of their investment thesis and objectives. They have a clear understanding of and control over the investment strategy, continually increase their investments, leave them untouched for long durations to compound, and follow their asset allocation plan.
Charlie Munger famously says, “All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.” He and his partner Buffett never risked the monies of their investors by asking them to invest in something they didn’t fully understand. They were willing to pass up many such opportunities even if it meant lesser returns.
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We hope that these real-life investment success stories have left you feeling inspired and motivated to take your own investment journey to the next level. Remember, investing requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to take calculated risks. With the right mindset and approach, you too can achieve financial success and build the life you’ve always dreamed of.
Thank you for reading and please feel free to share this post with anyone who may find it helpful. If you have any comments or questions, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Happy investing!
