72-year-old Kochouseph Chittilappilly is an icon in his own right. He grew up with a learning disability, failed in his dream of becoming an ISRO scientist, built two mega companies and donated his kidney to a stranger. The Kerala-based business tycoon is a billionaire who has his own unique ways.
Born in Thrissur, Kochouseph earned a master's degree in Physics and then wanted to join ISRO and become a scientist. Being an entrepreneur was not even in his mind. However, despite applying to the Indian space agency, he was never selected. With the empire he built in his career, the failure could be seen as a stepping stone for his success. He then began his career with small time companies struggling financially.
In 1977, Chittilappilly founded his first company with a loan and named it V-Guard Industries. A 2 employee venture went on to become the leading stabiliser brand in India. The businessman began to diversify around 2000 and launched the first theme park of Kerala before venturing into Karnataka. The new company became the next big success for him with the brand Wonderla. Today, V-Guard has a market cap of Rs 12,485 crore while Wonderla’s market cap is Rs 3,555 crore. Chittilappilly commands a net worth of over Rs 9,938 crore.
An entrepreneur with a selfless heart, he made a unique record at 61 by becoming the first billionaire to donate a kidney. That too, he gave his precious organ to a complete stranger who was a poor truck driver. He is also a philanthropist and has contributed to various issues with his K Chittilappilly Foundation. This includes providing homes to 1000 homeless families. He is also an award-winning businessman who has been honoured with the Rashtriya Samman award for being one of India’s highest taxpayers.
