In a surprising revelation, Sampath mentioned that although she owns two properties, she doesn’t live in either of them and instead rents a home in Bengaluru. When asked by Hegde how she manages her real estate investments, Sampath, a chartered accountant, explained the financial strategy of offsetting capital gains by investing in multiple properties.
When probed further on whether she purchased the properties for tax benefits, Sampath avoided a direct answer, stating only that while she owns two houses, she prefers to live in a rented home, confirming that her properties are rented out.
Her unconventional choice sparked reactions online. One YouTube commenter remarked, “She has ₹500 crore and still rents a house? If you don’t spend money when you have this much, what’s the point?” Another pointed out the challenges faced by the middle class, noting, “She can buy a house anytime, but with rising inflation, it’s a different story for the middle class.”
Sampath isn’t alone in her preference for renting. Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath also lives in a rented home, citing inflated real estate prices and high interest rates as reasons to avoid buying property. Similarly, Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande rents an apartment in Gurgaon, explaining that the cost of an EMI on a home loan would be four times his current rent, making homeownership financially unwise.