Talking Billions with Bogumil Baranowski “Ram" PV Ramanathan: From Oil Rigs to Fund Management: An Unlikely Journey: How a Chartered Accountant Built Wealth Through Patient Capital and Zero Leverage
Sep 15, 2025
PV Ramanathan, a Dubai-based entrepreneur, chartered accountant, and fund-of-funds manager, shares his inspiring journey from a middle-class upbringing in India to founding Neeti Fund. He discusses his hands-on experience on oil rigs and the importance of patient capital and zero leverage in building his business. Ramanathan advocates a four-bucket investment strategy and emphasizes the need for long-term thinking over short-term gains. He also highlights undervalued markets and the significance of building community among investors.
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From India To Dubai With No Passport
- Ram arrived in Dubai without a passport after accepting a job and applied only after he got the offer.
- He describes Dubai then as "just a strip of sand" and says it was his first time away from home.
Learning By Working Weekends On Rigs
- Ram learned Schlumberger's business by spending weekends on rigs in coveralls to understand operations.
- That practical immersion helped him earn respect and expand the business from two rigs to seven.
From CFO To Leading An MBO
- Ram led a leveraged management buyout (MBO) of a corrosion services business after discovering the opportunity internally.
- The MBO merged his entrepreneurial and value investing education and started his fund allocations to managers like Mohnish.
