- Bharat Jain is the richest beggar in the world with a net worth of ₹7.5 crores $1 million
- He has been begging since he was a teenager
Begging is not one of the honourable ways of earning a living. Individuals go to great lengths to feign disability to soften the hearts and pockets of well-wishers.
While some of these beggars are genuinely in need, a good number have turned it into a profitable profession.
One case in point is Bharat Jain who is the richest beggar in the world and is still going about his trade in the streets of Mumbai.
According to the Economic Times, Jain was not in a position to pursue formal education due to financial constraints.
Even with the difficult start in life, Jain is reportedly worth millions.
The man who lives with his wife, two sons, a brother and his father collects between ₹60,000 and ₹75,000 (over Ksh124,000).
He also owns a 2 bedroom flat in Mumbai said to be worth ₹1.2 crore (Ksh12 million). Jain has two shops in Thane from where he gets a monthly rental income of ₹30,000 per month (Ksh50,000).
Even with this massive wealth, Jain has not stopped begging and can be spotted at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station (CSMT) or Azad Maidan plying his trade.
He reportedly makes between ₹2,000-2,500 per day (Ksh4,000).
The beggar lives in a one bedroom duplex apartment in Parel. His children, who have completed their education, attended convent school.
His family members run a stationery store and have consistently advised Haon to quit begging.
Near home, Joseph Waweru made good money from begging that enabled him to complete building his rental houses in Nairobi Pipeline Estate.
Waweru was a notorious gangster who had started building from the proceeds of crime. The beating and stoning from his criminal career left him crippled stalling the construction of the houses.
His former accomplices advised him to “take advantage of his disability and beg for a living and to complete the construction of his rental houses”, a source was quoted by The Standard.
Now in his 50s, Waweru took the advice and has been begging for a living since early 2007 to date.
The least he makes from begging is Ksh2,000 per day. He managed to raise money to complete his houses.
“Beginning this June, l am retiring from streets and you will not see me again. My houses are done, complete with piped water, save for electricity connection,” he was quoted in 2017.
When fully occupied, his 30 block of bed-sitters will each fetch him at least Sh6,000 per month, totalling to Ksh180,000.
