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Least Typical. The most successful of the Marwaris is in many ways the least typical. G. D. (for Ghanshyam Das) Birla not only controls an empire of 350 concerns (textiles, automaking, chemicals, banking), but is one of Prime Minister Nehru's closest confidants and a member of and heavy contributor to Nehru's Congress Party. A tall and ascetic man, Birla financed Gandhi, gives enormous amounts to charity, and has opened many schools and hospitals. Many Marwaris, respected only for their business shrewdness, now long for the social standing that Birla has earned for himself, are sending their sons abroad to educate them. But in most Marwari households, a son who expresses a desire to follow a nonbusiness career is still asked bluntly: "How much will you make out of it?" That is usually the end of the matter.