‘Best way to lose’: Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath celebrates losing Rs 2.5 lakh bet to employee

Zerodha co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath recently revealed that he paid Rs 2.5 lakh to an employee after losing a fitness challenge, and it makes him happy. The employee successfully shed 30 kg over the past year. “I lost a fitness bet, and I’m happy I lost this one,” Kamath wrote on X while sharing an Instagram post by Rohit Agarwala, a content and media strategist at Zerodha.

Posting a photo with Kamath, Agarwala wrote, “My biggest flex? That I won Rs 2.5L from @nithinkamath on a health challenge.”

Check out the post:

I lost a fitness bet, and I’m happy I lost this one. pic.twitter.com/xhR3XSC9Yn

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) June 18, 2026

Reflecting on the experience, he said the cash prize was far from the most valuable outcome. “The money is secondary. It’s the push to take care of my health and lose 30kgs in the last year that has been the most rewarding. I don’t think any other place can give you this kind of an opportunity @zerodhaonline,” he wrote.

In a video accompanying the post, Agarwala explained that about six months earlier, he had entered a challenge with 15 colleagues. The goal was simple: reduce his weight from 95 kg to 75 kg by January. Together, the group put roughly Rs 1 lakh on the line to motivate employees struggling with their fitness to take their health more seriously.

Watch the video:

Agarwala admitted that weight loss had been a long-standing challenge. After regaining weight over the years, getting back into shape seemed increasingly difficult. “Becoming fit felt like a dream,” he said.

He credited Zerodha’s workplace culture for helping him stay committed. “My company is very health-focused and it comes from the top. This was the change I needed in my life, which pushed me to take this seriously,” he said.

His fitness journey actually began before the challenge. In April, he weighed 104 kg and managed to bring that down to 95 kg by June, when the bet officially started. By January 8, he had reached 74.5 kg, beating his target.

Story continues below this ad

Kamath reshared the story on Thursday, saying he was delighted to lose the wager. The post quickly attracted praise online, with many users calling it “the best kind of bet to lose.”

One user wrote, “Amazing, everyone should have a mentor like this. Rightly said ‘money is secondary’ Health First.”

Another commented, “Lost the bet but won at life! Congrats Rohit on the insane 30kg transformation – that’s the real victory here. Nithin bhai, best way to lose money ever. This is what health challenges should be about. Massive respect to both of you.”

Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo also reacted to the post, writing, “Love this.”

Story continues below this ad

A fourth user added, “That’s satisfying… and I admire how you’re taking care of yourself even after the setback.”