In today’s world mobile phones have become an essential part of life. However there are billionaires who choose to live without one. One such person is Ramamurthy Thyagarajan the founder of Shriram Group. Despite having immense wealth he leads a simple life. He even drives a car worth just Rs. 6 lakh and has donated crores to various causes. Let’s take a look at how he built an empire from a small business idea. A modest beginning turned into a financial powerhouse In the 1960s Ramamurthy Thyagarajan started a small company initially operating as a chit fund business. Over the years this grew into Shriram Finance one of Indias leading financial institutions. Unlike traditional banks his company focused on providing loans to low-income individuals—people who were often denied credit by mainstream banks. The company specializes in financing trucks tractors and other commercial vehicles making it easier for small business owners and drivers to own their means of livelihood. Creating a market that didnt exist When he started Thyagarajan noticed a huge gap in the market. Many small transport operators and truck drivers struggled to get loans from banks. Seeing this as an opportunity he created a new market by offering financial support to those ignored by the banking system. His strategy worked wonders and Shriram Group rapidly expanded. A multi-billion dollar enterprise Today Shriram Group is a financial giant with a market capitalization of USD 8.5 billion. It has diversified into insurance stockbroking and various financial services. The company also provides employment to over 108000 people contributing significantly to the Indian economy. Despite his massive success Ramamurthy Thyagarajan remains humble proving that wealth doesn’t have to change one’s values. The billionaire who gave away his fortune Ramamurthy Thyagarajan the 86-year-old founder of Shriram Group is not your typical billionaire. Unlike many wealthy individuals he has led an incredibly simple life driving a Rs. 6 lakh Hyundai hatchback for years. Despite owning a massive business empire he has never been attached to wealth—proven by the fact that he donated his entire stake in a USD 750 million company. He didn’t just donate his fortune to charity—he went a step further by giving away his entire stake in Shriram Group to a group of his employees. This was done through the Shriram Ownership Trust which he founded in 2006. The trust benefits 44 senior executives making them true stakeholders in the company’s success. A vision beyond money In an interview with Bloomberg Thyagarajan shared his philosophy. He never cared about making the rich richer; instead his goal was to help those struggling financially. He built Shriram Group to prove that lending to people without credit history or regular income wasn’t as risky as banks believed. During a three-hour-long interview he admitted that money was never his priority—not when he started and not now. Even today he prefers a life of simplicity focusing on meaningful work rather than material wealth.