Kartik Varma

Investor + Entrepreneur. Co-founder PropTiger and iTrust. Previously Ziff Brothers Investments and Children's Investment Fund. Stage actor and lapsed lawyer.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

Was this guru a sex-obsessed cult leader or a spiritual genius?

How did he get 93 Rolls Royces 🚗?

Did he really poison an entire town☣️?

Why was he deported from the US 🇺🇸?

This week's Famous Dead Indian 🇮🇳 is Bhagwan Rajneesh, who later re-branded as Osho. Read on👇

Sex, fancy cars and poison??? Sounds like a cheap Bollywood movie plot! How did he become a guru?

Rajneesh was born as Chandra Mohan Jain on December 11, 1931, in the small town of Kuchwada, India. He changed his name to Rajneesh in the 1960s. He studied philosophy, earning a Masters degree and thereafter started his career as a philosophy lecturer at a university. He quickly gained a reputation for his exceptional intelligence and ability to articulate complex ideas.

His personal philosophy was that individual religious experience is central to spiritual life and cannot be confined to any single belief system. He was critical of dogmatic systems and believed in questioning authority.

In the early 1970s, Rajneesh established an ashram in Pune, India, which became the epicenter of his movement. His charismatic personality and innovative teachings attracted a growing number of followers, particularly from the West, and soon became a thriving community.

You make him out to be a weirdo, but he sounds normal so far.

His approach to spirituality was unconventional, advocating for a more open attitude towards human sexuality, which earned him the controversial moniker "the sex guru" in India during the late 1960s. Rajneesh's teachings emphasised meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity, and humour. He viewed these qualities as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems and societal norms.

He emphasised that meditation could lead to self-awareness, inner peace, and freedom from societal conditioning. One of his most famous contributions to meditation was the creation of "Dynamic Meditation", a high-energy technique that involves intense physical movement, breathing, and catharsis, followed by stillness. This method is designed to release pent-up emotions and energies.

He often spoke of the idea of "Zorba the Buddha," which represents the integration of both material and spiritual life. He urged his followers to embrace both the pleasures of life and the deep meditative states of spirituality, rejecting asceticism in favour of a balanced, joyful existence.

Oh...I now see why he’s a different type of guru. Tell me about his move to the US.

Rajneesh was a political and social critic, with unpopular views of India’s religious prudery and socialist policies in the 1970s. He and his followers were looking for a place to practice their beliefs without government or conservative interference. In the early 1980s, Rajneesh and his followers moved from India to a 64,000-acre ranch in Oregon, USA, where they felt they would have more freedom than in India. This period marked both the height of his influence and the beginning of his legal troubles.

He built a commune he named Rajneeshpuram in Antelope, Oregon City. When the Rajneeshees arrived in 1981, the town of Antelope had a population of just 39 people, most of whom were retirees and Christians. His idea and execution of building a utopian city ultimately led to conflict with the local ranchers, residents and government authorities. Between 1981 through 1985, it is estimated that over $500 million (in today's money) poured into the commune completely transforming the rural ranch town.

At its peak, the commune had around 7,000 members, but the ranch was zoned for agricultural purposes with a maximum of just six residents allowed to live there. The sudden presence of hundreds of red-clad, long-haired un-Christian hippie people from all over the world with a strange guru and seeking to buy up local property made the residents extremely nervous and generated widespread fears of a “takeover”. This led to clashes with the locals.

Oooh…the plot thickens our spiritual hero is turning into a villain!

Well…the fears weren’t wholly unfounded. The commune faced numerous controversies, including allegations of criminal activities such as arson, attempted murder, immigration and voter fraud. Local state level politicians began to express their fears about the “cult” which was rumored to have engaged in disturbing transgressions, including “group sex involving sadomasochistic elements” and perhaps even “violence and loss of life”.

One of the most infamous episodes in Rajneesh’s life was his involvement in the 1984 bioterror attack in Oregon, the first of its kind in the US. Members of his commune deliberately poisoned salad bars with Salmonella bacteria. Their goal was to incapacitate voters to help the commune win seats in the local elections to continue to influence and shape the town without any interference of the local politicians.

In 1985, Rajneesh was arrested and charged with multiple crimes. He pleaded guilty to two immigration charges and was deported from the USA. Over 21 countries refused him entry. Rajneesh spent several years traveling the world before returning to his Pune ashram in 1987.

In 1989, he “rebranded” himself as Osho, which means self-taught monk or teacher. He died in 1990 at the age of 58.

Asking for a friend…what kind of spirituality leads to Rolls Royces?

Rajneesh had never made any secret of his procapitalist sentiments and his fondness for expensive objects of conspicuous consumption.

“All the religions have commanded and praised poverty, and I condemn all those religions. Because of their praise of poverty, poverty has persisted in the world. I don’t condemn wealth. Wealth is a perfect means which can enhance people in every way… So I am a materialist spiritualist.”

His first two Rolls-Royces were gifts from his followers. His expanding fleet of Rolls Royce cars would eventually number 93. The cars became part of an almost surreal form of “drive-by darshan” or viewing of the guru, in which Rajneesh would slowly drive down the city’s central avenue while thousands of red-clad followers waved, cheered, and played instruments in throes of joy.

“People are sad, jealous, and thinking that Rolls Royces don’t fit with spirituality. I don’t see that there is any contradiction… In fact, sitting in a bullock cart it is very difficult to be meditative; a Rolls Royce is the best for spiritual growth”.

That may be, but they also served as a vehicle for shielding tax. The pun here should prove that this article isn’t AI generated! Starting in 1982, they were “owned” by the tax-exempt Rajneesh Modern Car Collection Trust. The trust served as a conduit for donations from wealthy followers, who then leased the cars for a monthly fee. After he fled the US and his commune collapsed, 85 of his 93 Rolls were sold to a Texan car dealer. Rajneesh bought the other 8 cars for himself, no doubt to facilitate his spiritual growth.

Well…come to think of it I too would prefer meditating in a Rolls Royce over a bullock cart!

Maybe, and hope you find nirvana.

But you can see why Rajneesh remains a polarizing figure in the world of modern spirituality. To his followers, he was a visionary who showed a path to self-realization and inner freedom by challenging conventional notions of religion and spirituality. To his critics, he was a controversial guru whose teachings and actions often crossed ethical and legal boundaries and one who left a tarnished legacy.

Regardless, he was a master communicator. His ideas are preserved in numerous books and recordings. His books have been translated into 60 languages and published by over 200 publishing houses.

An example of his communication abilities is in the following recording of his “discourse” on the multiple uses of the word “f@ck”. I guarantee that you will laugh a lot during this 4 minute video. It is attached in the next message attached to this post.

If Rajneesh’s story interests you, Netflix did a 6-part series called Wild Wild Country which has received a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you like this post please repost and share with your friends so they can also achieve inner peace.

Other Famous Dead Indians we have written about in the last few weeks are Freddie Mercury (rockstar), Mother Teresa (saint), Verghese Kurien (world's greatest milkman), PC Sorcar (magician), Aryabhata (invented zero), Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel winner, author of national anthems), Shakuntala Devi (human computer) and Dr Vikram Sarabhai (rocket scientist). You can find them on my timeline.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@Ajain112 I stopped because I couldn’t source organic turmeric and so it wasn’t worth continuing to sell without this key ingredient

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

The variety and depth in Indian cuisine from across all regions of the country is possibly the best in the world.

Recent international growth is restaurants taking the bold decision to move out of North Indian stereotypical dishes and create strong offerings beyond just the commonly consumed dishes.

It doesn’t always have to be fancy. Haldiram’s should do great with their London branch when it opens soon.

[Safir @safiranand]

I have eaten across the world and some of the dinesh Michelin and non starred restaurants. Indian food still has the biggest ability to grow. The sheer depth and variety is amazing and it’s already seen as one of her most popular foods in the world. Hope to experience a lot more newer flavours as part of my discovery of state wise gems. 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@RockyEatsX Father’s sporty genes!

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

Didn’t have Kama Ayurveda and Forest Essentials coming under the same roof, but here we are….

[FT World News @ftworldnews]

Estée Lauder nears deal to combine with Jean Paul Gaultier owner Puig https://t.co/IJ0vNdpCYO

[FT World News @ftworldnews]

Estée Lauder nears deal to combine with Jean Paul Gaultier owner Puig https://t.co/IJ0vNdpCYO

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@LibertyRPF What is your current favourite read? Any recos?

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@anmolm_ Fat chance that anyone will celebrate 🙃

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@kevg1412 Hasn’t financial reporting always been a creative field 😮

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@G_S_Bhogal Same same. But I’ve been called KV ever since I was a boy and sometimes that works out very practical for people who struggle with a desi name.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@ManuKumar @HarryStebbings These are companies with global markets, sourcing talent and capital globally. Geography of company incorporation is often a formality and necessity, but operations are across borders.

Great that Europe is upping its game, and about time too. Talent was never in doubt.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@ManuKumar It’s in the middle of an upgrade cycle, for the fleet and service offerings. Long overdue after government ownership and one of the reasons it has come back into the private sector.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@lightroastguy Keep going! That you are able to consider upcoming marathons despite previous shin injuries speaks highly of your mindset and grit.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@danprimack Recently, I enjoyed going back to Money of the Mind by James Grant

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@MohapatraHemant @emergentlabs Delhi has existed for a 1,000+ years. What’s the half life of an app that gets built in a day 😉. Not knocking any software but there a decent chance that anything that will be Lindy needs more than a quick build.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@anushkkaayy I wish Arata is going to do well. But if it is discounting ~60% when it really is “last few left”, doesn’t look like it will be “static” for too long. Gravity might take over. Hope this discounting is just one off.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

…Oh….to live vicariously. All the best for next season!

[Rocky Singh 🇮🇳 @RockyEatsX]

It’s a celebration of food, of travel and of all things India !!
Thank you all those who join me for my journeys and for those of you who don’t, hope you start from next season, March 2026.
As for me, my clothes are still torn, my hairs still a mess and I still eat too much 😘

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

I’m a product of the K-12 system in India. While the domestic usage numbers are large and impressive, we risk going from rote learning to getting automated answers, and maybe skipping once again the opportunity to develop thinking skills.

What might the downstream impact of this be when these students enter the job market?

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@FoundersPodcast Flow, the book by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has really nice chapter that talks about Autotelics and this personality type.

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

His delivery is effective and that looks like a skill that can be trained, like in Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. But some people are just more natural, which he seems to be.

Maybe there will be a ceiling to how much people buy into whatever he’s communicating. Or, do you think that social media game will going forward outshine actual substance?

[Kartik Varma @CorpusKV]

@Camp4 @zachpogrob Learnt this new word today, autotelic, listening to the philosopher C Thi Nguyen on a podcast. It means to do something for its own purpose and not for any other reason @add_hawk