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14th July 2023
10:04am BST
The 'world's richest beggar' is said to have a net worth of around $1 million, all thanks to his begging on the streets.
It's difficult to imagine how desperate someone must be to resort to begging on the streets, but it seems Bharat Jain has embraced it and turned it into a lucrative profession.
Jain takes to the streets of Mumbai, India, to ask for money from strangers. He can typically make 2500 rupees - around £23 - per day and he can earn as much as 75,000 rupees (£695) a month from begging.
Whilst this may not sound like much when compared to wages in the UK, it's actually more than the monthly average salary to live comfortably in Mumbai, which is roughly 50,000 rupees.
And the cost of living and low property prices in India meant that he was able to do a lot with his earnings.
According to The India Times, Jain, who was unable to pursue a formal education when he was young, has been able to purchase a two-bedroom flat in Mumbai, worth about 12 million rupees (£111,300) and two shops, which he rents out for 30,000 rupees (£278) per month.
His earnings have allowed him to send his two sons to school and he is determined they don't have to go through the same hardship he has.
Despite now being a wealthy man, Jain continues to beg on the streets of India's financial capital along the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station and Azad Maidan sports ground.
While many people struggle to earn a few hundred rupees even after working long hours, Jain manages to earn 2,000-2,500 per day within a span of 10 to 12 hours, thanks to the generosity of people.
This has led to him being labelled the 'world's richest beggar.'
Despite some of his family's advice, he continues to beg and has no plans to stop.
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