How many corporate czars retiring at 65 have had Bill Gates tele-wishing them adieu, have their founding and boardroom mates sing paens and mean every word of it? How many in living history have walked out of office blemishlessly, and leave an equally spotless legacy that grew from a Rs 10,000 - 30 years back as initial equity - to Rs 30,000 crore?
Or have a building across nine company centres named after them in a single day?
Mr N.R. Narayana Murthy once again showed on Friday, [interestingly his wife Sudha's birthday, a day ahead of his own 65th one] that he was one of the few in a billion and now going to be the Chairman emeritus and former Chief Mentor of 1.3-lakh-strong Infosys Ltd.
He woke up COO Mr Shibulal in the morning with some hard talk and kind tips, as Mr Shibulal recounted at the farewell in the evening. There was lunch at Infosys with current and former board members along with wife Ms Sudha, son Rohan daughter Akshata and daughter-in-law Lakshmi.
90-country banyan
The man who got every visiting dignitary to pick up the space and plant a tree on the Bangalore campus finally got to plant his own. The sapling called Infosys is a 90-country banyan.
The three-hour farewell was sprinkled liberally laced with happy and awe-inspiring anecdotes. This event is to celebrate Mr Narayana Murthy, said independent Director, Mr Deepak Satwalekar, in unabashed adoration.
Mr K.V.Kamath, who takes over now as the Chairman from Mr Murthy, confessed that he took back a lot of value and corporate lessons to his own company.
The auditorium was packed with current and former employees with their families, corporate comrades like Kiran and John Shaw of Biocon Ltd; cricketer Syed Kirmani, former IT Secretary and founder of rating agency Brickworks, Mr Vivek Kulkarni. Mr Nandan Nilekani was not seen.
In a sepia coloured film, the Pune staff reprised Sudha's and Murthy's pre-marriage days. Yet another film drew his life with his family, siblings, schooling in and around Bangalore through brilliant academic and corporate excellence. We know the rest.
In an unusually mellowed tone, Mr Murthy himself summed it all up: a wonderful journey. What a dream journey that has been. He was Infosys' boatman and now he has yet another Catamaran. Farewell, Mr Murthy, as you undoubtedly will. On your birthday, many happy returns of another Infosys.