In the nascent stages of his career, Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, encountered a rather unpleasant experience when, during a visit to the United States, an American businessman named Donn Liles subjected him to unpleasantries. The recent release of a book, titled 'An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy', sheds light on this episode from the early days of the renowned IT magnate's journey.
According to the book, Murthy found himself relegated to sleeping on a substantial box within a windowless storeroom surrounded by cartons, courtesy of Donn Liles. Astonishingly, this transpired despite Liles having a home equipped with four bedrooms. The book details how Donn, associated with the New York-based company Data Basics Corporation, an Infosys client, exhibited occasional unpleasant behavior towards Murthy.
During one of Murthy's visits to the US for client-related work, Donn insisted that he sleep on the box in the storeroom, all while his spacious home remained available. Moreover, Murthy had to contend with Donn's frequent last-minute requests for resources, creating additional challenges for him.
Author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, in the book, recounts the circumstances, stating, "He would often delay payments when he could, and Murthy would then be the target of his ire because he would hold his ground, refusing to budge on timely payment for services. Or Donn would not provide timely authorization for Murthy and his Infosys colleagues to book hotels when they had to visit him in Manhattan."
Despite the discomfort and challenges posed by Donn, Murthy chose to endure the American businessman's behavior to maintain the client relationship with his company. The book reveals that being relegated to sleeping in a box in the storeroom "truly shocked" Murthy, prompting him to reflect on his mother's teachings about treating guests like gods.
In a conversation with his wife, Sudha Murty, he expressed, "My mother used to say that a guest was like God, and the way you treated your guests revealed what kind of person you really were." He highlighted the stark contrast between Donn enjoying a comfortable night's sleep in his opulent bed while subjecting Murthy to such conditions, leaving Sudha furious, as recounted in the book.
