Quote of the Day by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala: ‘I made many mistakes but ...’      

"I made many mistakes but my triumphs have received far greater publicity than my failures,” a quote by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, an Indian billionaire investor, stock trader and Chartered Accountant.   

He used this thesis to explain why he remained an absolute "India bull," predicting at the time that India's GDP growth would eventually scale into double digits despite short-term macro headwinds. He said that because of this structural growth, equities remained the single best asset class for Indian households looking to generate real wealth.

Who was Rakesh Jhunjhunwala 

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (1960-2022) was a legendary Indian billionaire investor and stock trader often referred to as the “Big Bull” of India or the “Indian Warren Buffett”. He was a qualified Chartered Accountant who transformed a modest ₹5,000 investment in 1985 into a multibillion-dollar portfolio.  

At the time of his passing in August 2022, his net worth was estimated at $5.80 billion, making him one of the richest people in India. Shortly before his death, he co-founded Akasa Air, a low-cost Indian airline. 

His portfolio was famous for long-term “multibagger” stocks, most notably Titan Company, where his early bet grew 400x over two decades. 

He was a steadfast optimist regarding India's economic growth, famously stating, “The future of India is brighter than the sun”.    

When was this quote said by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala  

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala said this during an exclusive media interview published on December 25, 2014.

During the same conversation, he emphasised that mistakes must be affordable and kept within limits. He also expressed scepticism regarding high e-commerce valuations and advised retail investors to use Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs).

What does this quote mean?    

This quote means that India has all the essential raw ingredients to become an economic superpower, and its long-term progress is unstoppable despite short-term setbacks.

No investor wins 100% of the time. Even the most successful people make wrong calls, misjudge trends, and lose money. Jhunjhunwala wanted the public to know that he was far from infallible.

By sharing this, he was teaching retail investors a mindset shift. He was arguing that making mistakes is not a sign of poor investing—it is simply the cost of doing business in the stock market.