Dhirubhai Ambani

Dhirubhai's father was a village school master with a small income. Dhirubhai would setup an onion/potato fries stall at village fairs and make extra money which he gave to his mother.

 

At the age of 16 he went to Aden where he worked for a salary of Rs 300. During those days, the Yemeni Rial was made of pure silver and was in high demand at the London Bullion Exchange.

 

Dhirubhai would buy the rials, melt them into pure silver and sell them to the Bullion traders in London. This is how he is believed to have made his first few lakhs.