Badshah was a government official before turning into one of the richest singers in India; How a retired senior’s advice changed everything

Before his music career took off, Badshah was a 23-year-old government official in Sundar Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. In a recent interview on the Curly Tales series, rapper Badshah broke down the psychological shift required to go from a middle-class government upbringing to a life of extreme luxury. From his days in Himachal Pradesh to his high-end impulse buys, he detailed the moments that defined his relationship with wealth.

Civil Service to Stardom

Reflecting on his past, Badshah recalled when he was a 23-year-old government official in Himachal Pradesh, recalling an incident while bidding farewell to the outgoing finance commissioner, an IAS officer. Badshah asked a question that shocked his senior colleagues, “Sir, when a businessman or a sportsman drives a Mercedes, people say he is hardworking. But when a government official drives, they say he is a thief. Why?”. His colleagues told him to sit down, but the commissioner gave him a deep answer.

The Commissioner’s answer – that it depends on what the “Mercedes” represents in your particular life – stuck with him. Badshah noted that while his father worked all his life just to get his son a stable government job, even using contacts to make it happen, it was his mother who made him “think big”. He described the mind as a muscle that needs to be trained to perceive higher possibilities, transcending the “don’t fly too high” middle class mindset.

Buying a Rolls Royce ‘Impulse’

Describing the moment he decided to add a Rs 12.45 crore Rolls Royce Cullinan to his collection, Badshah described it as an act of pure, unfiltered impulse. He claimed the decision took no more than “10 seconds flat”, during which he suddenly decided he simply had to have the car that day. “I just decided today was the day,” he said.

However, he revealed that the psychological “high” of such an elite purchase is surprisingly short-lived. He stated that the intense feeling of luxury and the feeling of being a “Badshah” (King) while sitting in a new car only lasts for about 10 to 15 minutes. After this brief window of excitement, he admitted, the excitement wears off completely and his mind immediately moves to the next goal, asking, “What next?”

Stolen rolex and watch security

The rapper also spoke about the anxiety and protective measures surrounding his high-end watch collection, which he admits requires a level of attention bordering on obsession. He shared that he has already suffered the pain of losing two luxury watches, including his very first Rolex. “My first ever Rolex was either stolen or lost; it was very special to me,” he said, admitting he deeply regretted the loss. He remains unsure whether the watch was stolen or simply disappeared, but described the loss as deeply painful because of its sentimental value as his first major luxury milestone.

Due to these losses, Badshah mentioned the constant increased need to guard his pieces. When asked how he protects his investments, he acknowledged the “extra” lengths he feels compelled to go to, including the need for dedicated security or bodyguards to protect his watches and sneakers from being misplaced or taken. Despite the size of his current collection, he admitted that when he looks at the luxury watch guide, he often thinks he needs “more and more money” to keep up with the pieces he still covets.

he explained that while he loves material things, he places a higher value on human connection. He stated that if a close friend crashed his expensive car, his first reaction would be to check that the friend was safe. “I value my relationships more than my material possessions,” he said, although he jokingly added that he then “beat them up.”