Bollywood’s Khiladi Akshay Kumar has been winning hearts for over three decades. From action-packed stunts to making people laugh with his wit and humour, Akshay Kumar has built a career that makes him one of the most loved and highest-paid celebrities of Bollywood. Recently, he appeared on the season finale of The Great Indian Kapil Show (Season 3), where the team celebrated his remarkable 35-year journey in films.
During the show, Akshay opened up about his relationship with money, his middle-class values, and how these habits continue to guide his life even today. During the show, Akshay recalled an incident from his younger days that shaped his thinking about financial security.
“I had once read in a newspaper that Jeetendra ji had made a fixed deposit (FD) of Rs 100 crore. I immediately went to my father and asked, ‘Daddy, what would the interest be on such a big FD?’ At that time, the interest rate was 13 per cent, which meant over Rs 1 crore every month. I thought to myself, the day I manage to make an FD like that, I’ll be financially secure.”
However, in the episode he agreed that human greed never ends as the number kept increasing for him. “That number kept increasing for me. From Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore and then Rs 2,000 crore. The greed never stops,” he said.
When host Kapil Sharma asked him, “What’s the biggest FD you have?” Akshay simply said, “I won’t tell you.”
Akshay Kumar still behaves like a middle-class
Despite being one of the most successful actors, Akshay confessed that he still behaves like a typical middle-class man when it comes to saving electricity and resources.
“Even today, if my son or daughter leaves a fan or light on, I immediately go and switch it off. I know it may only add Rs 2,000 extra to the electricity bill, but I can’t help myself, it’s my habit,” he said in Kapil Sharma’s final episode.
He even shared a recent incident with his coach. “I had told him to switch on the AC five minutes before I arrived for training, but he turned it on 25 minutes early. I scolded him! It’s not kanjoosi, it’s just the way I was raised, to value resources.”
‘I pay my taxes and I serve’
Akshay is one of India’s highest taxpayers. In fact, he has held that title for eight years. On Aapki Adalat, he once explained his financial ethics, saying, “I have earned money honestly, not by stealing. I earn, I pay my taxes, and I serve. That’s my dharma. Money is important, and one has to be practical. But if you’re working hard and not cheating anyone, there’s nothing wrong in earning well.”
Donations made by Akshay Kumar
Beyond films and personal success, Akshay Kumar has been using his wealth for good causes. As per The Indian Express, he funded life insurance policies for more than 600 stuntmen in Bollywood, donated Rs 25 crore to the PM CARES Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributed another Rs 25 crore for the renovation of Mumbai’s historic Haji Ali Dargah.
For someone who once dreamt of financial security by looking at Jeetendra’s FD, Akshay has not only achieved his goals but also stayed grounded with his values.