Alok Sama on Luck, Legacy & Life Lessons: From President & CFO at SoftBank to Author of ‘The Money Trap’ | Indianness Podcast
Description
Join us on the Indianness Podcast with Alok Sama as he revisits:
- A life of 17-hour workdays, massive mergers, and global finance
- Deep personal reflections on mortality, regret, and missed phone calls
- How a cadaver at age 10 turned him away from medicine forever
- Lessons in failure—from cricket to startups—and how they shaped his resilience
- The moment he realized his son thought he was cool again
📘 This is not just a career story—it's an emotional reckoning.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aloksama?
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and Setup
04:30 - Welcome to the Podcast
06:30 - Childhood and Family Background
11:50 - The Influence of His Father
15:00 - The Cadaver Incident
18:30 - Luck, Serendipity & Career
21:00 - Schooling and Rejection
24:50 - Cricket, Sports and Resilience
29:00 - Friendships and Long-term Bonds
31:30 - Decision to Study Abroad
36:50 - Cultural Shock in America
40:00 - Wharton and Academics
42:40 - Career at Morgan Stanley
45:00 - Mentorship and Role Models
48:00 - Joining SoftBank
51:00 - Staying After Nikesh Left
52:30 - Pivot to Writing
56:20 - The Money Trap Book
58:00 - New Writing Focus
1:02:00 - Life After Loss
1:05:40 - Redefining Success
1:10:20 - Most Influential Person
United States
