In an unusual blend of stress-testing and humor, Nithin Kamath, the CEO of Zerodha, orchestrated an elaborate prank over a decade ago that has recently caught the internet's attention.
Kamath shared a video on Instagram, originally posted on YouTube almost a decade ago, showing a fake police raid at Zerodha's Bengaluru office, designed to gauge his team's reaction under extreme stress.
The video, which has now gone viral with over 1.9 million views, begins with Kamath's message: "We carried out a fake police raid in our office to see how the team reacts to extreme stress and to have some fun, of course."
The setup involved hidden cameras and actors impersonating police officers, complete with a fabricated Bombay High Court order. The actors, playing the role of rowdy officers, stormed into the office, disrupting work and rounding up employees on allegations of a Ponzi scheme and financial fraud.
The employees' reactions varied significantly. Hanan, the head of client operations, became the "angry man" of the scenario, arguing intensely with the fake police for clarification.
In contrast, Venu, the head of operations, remained calm, trying to negotiate with the impostors and maintain peace among the staff.
The climax of the prank was as dramatic as it was unexpected. All employees were herded into a room and temporarily locked in, awaiting their "fugitive" boss. Kamath then re-entered with a bang, revealing the prank to his shocked team.
The reactions ranged from relief and laughter to tears, with one employee admitting, "I was too busy pissing my pants to realize what was happening," and another thinking it was due to a delayed payment in stamp duty.
The video, shared on January 28, has since garnered significant attention, with over 250,000+ views and 16,000 likes on Instagram alone.
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