Gopikishan 'RK' Damani is an Indian businessman, the self-made billionaire founder of Avenue Supermarts Ltd. (NSE: AVENUE), which operates the hypermarket chain D-Mart. His career began in stockbroking and speculative investment. Born in Bikaner, Rajasthan, in 1954, he grew up in a Marwari stockbroking family in a small single-bedroom apartment in Mumbai.

Damani dropped out of the University of Mumbai where he was pursuing commerce, forced to take responsibility for his family after his father's sudden death at age 15. He began investing in stocks in the 1980s, gaining fame for his battle of 'Bull Vs Bear' with Harshad Mehta during the 1992 Harshad Mehta scam, where Damani successfully short-sold stocks, anticipating the market collapse. He was known by the nickname 'Mr. White and White' for his simple, pristine attire.

Gopikishan Damani's strategic genius was his pivot from the stock market to retail in 2001 at the age of 47. He recognized the immense, long-term structural demand for discount hypermarket retail in India. He founded Avenue Supermarts Ltd. and launched the first D-Mart store in 2002 in Powai, Mumbai, using a crucial strategy of owning the real estate for his stores (unlike rivals who lease), which minimizes risk and increases long-term capital appreciation.

Under his leadership, D-Mart scaled rapidly across India, becoming one of the largest retail chains and achieving immense profitability by focusing on low prices, everyday discounts, and high volume (his customer-centric approach). The company successfully executed its IPO in 2017. His wealth is secured by his long-term controlling stake in the publicly traded Avenue Supermarts and his astute, long-term real estate strategy, cementing his status as the Retail King of India.

Gopikishan Damani's social impact is structural, stemming from D-Mart's role in providing affordable consumer goods and creating thousands of stable jobs in retail and supply chain logistics across India. His commitment to low prices acts as a structural benefit to the mass Indian consumer.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives. His career is a testament to the profitability of disciplined, contrarian business strategy, pivoting from high-stakes finance to dominating the essential retail sector.

Gopikishan Damani maintains the highly characteristic simple, discreet style of a traditional Marwari businessman. He is famously known as Mr. White and White for his preference for pristine white clothing. His aesthetic is one of grounded humility and immense financial authority.

Residing in Mumbai, India, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to disciplined investment, retail excellence, and the long-term, profitable growth of the essential consumer staples sector.