Dear Friends,
The events of the last few weeks leaves me in a state of discomfort. The mindless mudslinging by a few hiding behind the burkha of internet pseudo names - with a motive that is as elusive as their real identity has left a bad taste. I am surprised as to why most people would rather bring somebody down than try and stand up to his height.
Maybe this is a way of life which I am getting used to.
Added to this was the selective leaking of research write ups and all other information that I used to share on this platform. In fact people created What's Up groups where sharing of copyrighted material had become a norm. One person had conveniently put my research report on a Facebook group with over 2000 members. All this has been a pain to deal with. I have the names and voice samples of the culprits here but have resisted in going ahead as they are young professionals with a few decades of work life left ahead of them.
In my nine years of online activity I have never backed away from an argument. But those arguments had always been with people whom you knew existed. And not with people who just had a mischievous intent where one person created half a dozen identities and kept posting across the web. I refuse to be drawn into a fight where my opponents identity and existence remains hidden from the real world.
I am willing to argue with anyone on anything - anytime. But the person should first lift his veil and reveal his identity. As I always say internet blog sites are a funny place. It is an arena where people who buy 50 shares scream the loudest while the ones who buy 5000 don't write they just read.
I have always believed that people will value integrity, over intelligence and intelligence over wealth. I have played the game fairly for all the past nine years and need no proof from anonymous onlookers to prove the same. My subscribers most of whom I have known for almost a decade continue to back me on this with full might and strength.
It is true that Basant's Corner was creating ripples. Who likes to see people learn and earn - both at the same time? Business strategy suggests that clients should be educated only up to a point and not beyond it. But I went ahead as my subscribers were not clients to me - they were a part of my extended family.
I have had requests from people as far as Australia & America and as near as Dubai that they are willing to fly down on 24 hours notice to any place that I suggest to vouch for my credibility. My inbox is full with hundreds of mails of appreciation and accolades. Thank you all for your help and support. I wish I could have reciprocated the same by being with you for ever.
People come to the market to make thousands. At Basant's Corner we made crores. It was a collective effort where people postponed buying off houses; cars and jewelry as they embarked on a journey to financial freedom through stock market investing.
Most of them have succeeded and the others are well on path to it. Maybe this worries the onlookers.
It isn't easy to create reputation in the online world. The reputation and support that I have created is easily the subject matter of envy for many. It has disrupted thought processes all across. Moreover, it has encouraged people to be smarter in their financial dealings making them better managers of their own money. Maybe this also hurts. Who knows?
No one becomes rich by envying others; no one grows in life by feeling jealous. Being envious and jealous doesn't help one to swallow someone else's gain with a little less pain either. In all it just increases the suffering. But that is not my problem as I have always tried to learn and excel rather than abuse and insult.
Then there is this talk of me blocking off people on Twitter. This is true. If you have an intelligent discussion to make I welcome you with open arms but if you just have an axe to grind - my doors shall remain closed for you. I do not engage in needless accusations and unnecessary fights so the best thing to do is to raise the boundary wall of my house.
Guys, we talk of our 5,000 year old culture; we talk of India becoming an economic superpower can we do that if we keep engaging in mindless mudslinging? Had I been a thick skinned hippopotamus engaged in cutting corners I would have continued to run Basant's Corner instead of closing it. Someone told me that politicians get insulted all the time but still do their job. My answer was 'Maybe that is why I'm not in politics'.
No one closes down a business which is in its prime. I could have doubled subscription rates and kept back 80% of my subscribers but making money wasn't as important as sleeping well at night. I never took this job as a business or else I would never have closed it.
All this talk of me closing this out of fear is as bizarre as the other allegations. At an oportune time I might show as to why I have got nothing to fear about. But I am unwilling to open my defence in front of all and sundry.
My members have been under my skin to ignore this even as my phone rings continuously. But once a decision has been made we can't go back.
My final message for my friends who are so near and dear to me remains the same:
'Dare To Dream with Stocks
&
Invest without fear'
I wish you all the very best in the times to come and my sincere apologies again for leaving you midway like this.
Maybe life has a bigger role for me. Will surely come back to you then.
I look forward for your support and well wishes.
Yours Truly,
Basant Maheshwari
Dear Basant
A very emotional moment for me despite being only 6 months into bc, can understand how its gonna be for old time members.would like to inform all my fellow members that BC was the sole reason to get into equities. i didnt have any idea or interest prior to joining bc coz i was like a carefree guy not giving a damn about wealth creation. call it coincidence or luck (thanks to google) i found TED, called Basant same day and spoke to him for a few minutes and got convinced that he was the right man for me. same evening ordered "the thoughtful investor" and my journey into BC started with hopes of a long lasting one but for unfortunate incidents on which neither of us have any control i have been orphaned (esp since am in my infancy stage) just like many members here. sometime later my friend like the book and i ordered an other copy which has made me and my friends happy. my portfolio is very small compared to others but basant never made me feel it as insignificant, all through out he advised me as per my financial ability and my comfort, so it speaks volumes about basant not trying to coerce or force into buying anything and infact always stressing upon the importance of allocation. though iam upset about all these allegations which of course stem out of envy, greed and malice, am not surprised as i keep encountering many people myslef. my dad always says indians like to have a pound of flesh from a good man and basant is no exception. during this short journey i met basant once in hyderabad for a few hours (thanks to rahul bhatia and his wife for hosting fellow members). i was pleasantly surprised to see basant being so so affable and accommodative which is very rare in people who have made it big. despite his advise not to divert from the allocation part i increased my allocation in granules which was my choice and am happy and confident about it. in my brief period of investing am not into profits yet but one has to realize we are not here trying to rake in crores in a few months. i still possess all the hawkins shares i bought in january and will continue to hold on, not out of emotional attachment but with a practical reason. i have all the BC top six and will continue to hold with my own conviction and expect to do well in future. i will add some non-bc stocks also simply because i still need to learn a lot.by the way the non basant stocks that i intend to own are also through subtle references in BC which may not give a cagr of 25-30 % but will be protecting my capital. when i look back over the last six months and wonder what have i achieved through BC... can say BC is not just about equities and money but much more which can only be experienced personally. ofcourse we all can be in twitter and face book with him. i will always be there to extend my support to him in any small way i can whatever be the trouble. last but not the least one small request to basant (wishful thinking)...can all our members together have at least a day with you as a get together at some place which is comfortable to you. so thats it folks, there is a lot more to write but cant at this moment....here am wishing basant and his family all the best in life and hope they enjoy all the peace that we all strive for but few seldom achieve, cheers basant for being a part of my life forever and am now having a glass of wine (though you wouldn't recommen) on your name. A big thank you!
Ravi-Hyderabad (9652071660)
Dear Sir,
It is very sad to see this happen.
I'd read...
the Intelligent Investor,
One up on wall street
Security Analysis
and various other books on valuation.
Armed with all that knowledge I gained enough of conviction and faith in myself to invest the Royal sum of.... 40k in the stock market. Somehow I just couldn't work up the courage to invest more. Main investment continued to be bonds and FDs because the stock market was an uncertainity.
Many a retail investor in India... remains in this chasm. Never ever getting over it.
and then I hit upon BC. For the first time in my life, I gained faith and conviction. I'm now at a point where as soon as I get my salary, I weigh how to spread it out in the portfolio. Sir: You did something that most books and most teachers can not do: They can impart the knowledge but the student has to gain his experience before he will have the faith to invest large sums and experience doesn't come unless you really invest a significant amount. Quite the chicken and egg problem. For me, you managed to crack it.
Imagine a child, a toddler, learning to stand upright for the first time, learning to take his first few steps, the parents, the mom or the dad, hold his tiny little hand by the pinky and help him take the first few steps, the child wobbles takes a few steps and drops down again and the retries the process. Imagine the joy that they feel when they start releasing his pinky and watch him take wobbly steps on his own... Well sir: We are all walking. WE ARE *ALL* WALKING. Thanks to you. Look at all these children, that you've helped take initial steps in the market. I'm sure that, I will continue to invest on my own. Sure enough I will fall a couple of times more... but you gave me the courage to walk in the first place.
Take a bow, Mr. Basant. Take a bow! What a show you given them both your critics and your supporters.
I have benefited tremendously from your sage advice after becoming a member of BC in Nov 2012.my PF is nearly 4 X now since then .Its all due to following your sage advice of
1)Concentrating Portfolio
2) Invest in stocks with high ROCE & CAGR
3)Getting rid of largecap stocks like Icici Bank
4)Getting rid of PSU stocks
and a host of other valuable advice whenever i pestered u on phone u were always patient and answered all my queries
I still remember u forcing met to sell Tata Steel at 550 in 2011 & converting the proceeds into Page@ 1700.
hats off to your wonderful advice.all the best
Keep investing more to equities. Get diversified knock off a few percentage points off the cagr but don't leave equities as that is the easiest way to get rich.
[QUOTE=fragile] . Somehow I just couldn't work up the courage to invest more. Main investment continued to be bonds and FDs because the stock market was an uncertainity. Many a retail investor in India... remains in this chasm. Never ever getting over it. and then I hit upon BC.� For the first time in my life, I gained faith and conviction. I'm now at a point where as soon as I get my salary, I weigh how to spread it out in the portfolio. Sir: You did something that most books and most teachers can not do: They can impart the knowledge but the student has to gain his experience before he will have the faith to invest large sums and experience doesn't come unless you really invest a significant amount. Quite the chicken and egg problem.
nd the retries the process. Imagine the joy that they feel when they start releasing his pinky and watch him take wobbly steps on his own... Well sir: We are all walking. WE ARE *ALL* WALKING. Thanks to you
[/QUOTE]
Thank you for understanding that.
[QUOTE=satish23]
Till recently you didn't advice any pharma company stating that you don't understand the sector. What other example is required than this to prove your honesty & humbleness!!
I don't think any expert or advisor will say that he doesn't understand about some sector/company, they will give some nonsense opinion rather than accepting their ignorance.[/QUOTE]
As I say life moves on. We need not feel left out like that.
[QUOTE=ravichandra14] my journey into BC started with hopes of a long lasting one but for unfortunate incidents on which neither of us have any control i have been orphaned (esp since am in my infancy stage) just like many members here. .............these allegations which of course stem out of envy, greed and malice, am not surprised as i keep encountering many people myslef. my dad always says indians like to have a pound of flesh from a good man and basant is no exception. during this short journey
Ravi-Hyderabad (9652071660)[/QUOTE]
BC was a great experience sir! I am sure everyone will cherish those wonderful moments all through our lives!! Wishing you luck (which you don't need :-)) in all your future endeavours!!
Basant Sir, Just saw this - Basant's Corner - Coming Soon in the right side of the page under Blog Articles. I hope something bigger, better and a place where you feel comfortable comes up soon and we see a message like this.. As I have mentioned before, you have changed the way I used to think about stocks. I have been a BC member for 10 months but even in this short duration I have learnt a lot. Feeling sad for sure but the hope of better things ahead should make us cheer. Thanks a lot Sir.
Dear Basant Sir, It is a good decision to end BC with TED the place from where we began our journey of investing in stock market. I joined TED in 2008 the year that witnessed worst ever market fall. By May 2009, my portfolio was down by 60% to 1.95L. Now in 2015 it has reached more than 1C. Before joining TED I was aiming to reach around 70L by 2026 but with the help of TED/BC, I crossed 1c in 2014 itself.That is the power of BC and TED. Perhaps I was the one who asked maximum number of questions on both TED and BC and troubled you a lot, but it was all with the intention of learning from you. I learnt a lot from TED & BC Q and A, TTI and other books suggested by you. I will always remember you for your honesty and integrity apart from your expertise in stock market. I respect your decision to stay out of public forums and accordingly will not disturb you any further. All the best for your future endeavors. with deepest prayers vijayM
Dear Basantjee,
I joined TED in Nov 2006 and BC in 2011. Both these events were lifechanging for me as it allowed me to read, understand and develop my own investing methodology also. Before 2008, I was active for 15 years but did not made any money (infact lost money) and hence your contribution for providing forum, learning and guidance has been instrumental.
Thanks for all the learnings..
Wow!
[QUOTE=vijayM] Dear Basant Sir,
It is a good decision to end BC with TED the place from where we began our journey of investing in stock market. I joined TED in 2008 the year that witnessed worst ever market fall. By May 2009, my portfolio was down by 60% to 1.95L. Now in 2015 it has reached more than 1C. Before joining TED I was aiming to reach around 70L by 2026 but with the help of TED/BC, I crossed 1c in 2014 itself.That is the power of BC and TED.
..........
I will always remember you for your honesty and integrity apart from your expertise in stock market.
I respect your decision to stay out of public forums and accordingly will not disturb you any further.
All the best for your future endeavors.
with deepest prayers
vijayM
[/QUOTE]
Posted on:6/29/2015 11:12:37 AMbobbyusd
Hi Basantji, thankyou so much for everything. A great learning place coming to a close. But as you said, you are destined for a larger, bigger role. I would love to be a part of it. Its been a wonderful experience knowing you all these years. May god bless you and your family. My sinciere regards to your wife Poojaji and love to you kids. Never met you in person. But do look forward to see you sometime. Untill then Goodbye Sir...