24/04/2026
🤪 A CEO of a large bank in Mumbai used to get his shoes polished every day by a shoeshiner sitting on a street corner. While getting his shoes polished, he would usually sit on a chair and read The Economic Times.
One morning, the shoeshiner asked the CEO, “What do you think about the current situation of the stock market?”
The CEO replied sarcastically, “Why are you so interested in that?”
The shoeshiner said, “I have 1.5 billion rupees deposited in your bank, and I’m thinking of investing some of it in the stock market.”
The CEO smiled mockingly and said, “Alright… what’s your name?”
The shoeshiner replied, “Parvez Polishwala.”
When the CEO returned to the bank, he asked the account manager, “Do we have a customer named Parvez Polishwala?”
The manager replied, “Yes, of course! He’s a valued customer. He has 1.5 billion rupees in his account.”
The CEO was shocked.
The next day, while getting his shoes polished, the CEO said,
“Mr. Polishwala, I would like to invite you as a special guest to our board meeting next week. We would love to hear your life story. I’m sure we can learn a lot from you.”
At the board meeting, the CEO introduced him:
“We all know Mr. Parvez Polishwala as the man who gives our shoes an excellent shine, but he is also one of our valued customers with 1.5 billion rupees in his account. I’ve invited him to share his life story.”
Parvez began:
“Thirty years ago, in my youth, my younger brother and I migrated from Kerala to Bombay. Hungry and exhausted, we started looking for work. One day, I found a coin on the street and bought some apples.
We had two choices: eat the apples to satisfy our hunger or start a business. I chose to sell the apples. My brother disagreed and separated from me.
By selling apples, I earned a small profit and reinvested it. Slowly, I started saving money. One day, after saving enough, I bought a used brush and shoe polish kit and started a shoeshining business.
I lived very frugally, never spending on entertainment or luxuries, saving every rupee I could. Over time, I expanded—bought better equipment, different polishes, and even a chair for customers.
A few years ago, I bought a small shop and grew the business further.”
Then he paused and said:
“About three months ago, my younger brother—who had separated from me—passed away in Kochi and left me 1.5 billion rupees… from his drug business.” 😂😂
