One of the biggest names in India’s real estate industry, Rezwan Razack, did not build his billionaire status overnight. Today, his company, Prestige Estates Projects Limited, is valued at nearly Rs 70,000 crore, while Razack himself has an estimated personal net worth of Rs 20,000 crore. Widely recognised as the developer behind Bengaluru’s iconic Kingfisher Towers, he has become one of the most influential figures in Indian luxury real estate.
In a conversation with Navan Jaiswal, a YouTuber with over 200K subscribers and who seeks stories about billionaires, Razack reflected on the journey that shaped both his business and his outlook on success. He revealed that his family once sold fabric for men’s clothing, and that they came from a modest middle-class background.
Interestingly, real estate was never part of the original plan — it entered their lives almost by accident. What followed, however, was years of persistence, calculated risk-taking, and a vision that eventually transformed Prestige into one of India’s most valuable real estate brands. During this time, he has also pursued a unique hobby of collecting Indian paper money over the past 50 years.
A peculiar hobby that has run for 50 years
While Razack believes, “looking at the clock won’t make you a billionaire,” he shared that he has wished to retire a long time ago. But he loved what he did and continued to do it, only now with a billionaire tag attached.
But apart from being a real estate mogul, Razack is also a collector. He collects paper money, which dates back to the Nizams of Hyderabad, the only kingdom which was allowed to print its currency when the British and Portuguese had colonised India. Walls full of the collection, which includes seven versions of the Indian rupee of the 10,000 note, Razack has even authored a book on the topic, titled ‘The Revised Standard Reference Guide to Indian Paper Money’, priced at nearly Rs 15,000.
With his collection of Indian paper currency now dedicated to the Indian Government, he boasts a museum full of notes that piece together the nation’s history. Moreover, it is even open for visitors.
Lessons from a billionaire
Razack, however, did not shy away from revealing his mantra to success: Under-promise & over-deliver. In fact, he added how one needs to believe in the power of ‘manifestation in the head’, and most importantly, start small. Razack also told Navan Jaiswal, “I don’t run behind money, but I run behind my family and friends.”
However, he warned that there was one habit that stopped people from being successful, and it was being the jack of all trades and master of none. Razack shared, “They don’t specialise and focus on one activity,” and added that he streamlined his passion and hobby towards collecting only Indian currency, and not going around the world. Focusing on one region has helped him become one of the biggest in India, be it real estate or currency collection.
Giving his definition of success, Razack shared, “Success is total honesty, sincerity, and some luck,” and added in the end that his Rs 20,000 crore net worth was only just a number.