Left ₹1.89 crore job at Microsoft, no co-founder and no salary: Why this 25-year-old chose to build an AI startup alone
Former Microsoft engineer Junead Khan left his ₹1.89 crore-a-year job in August 2025 and used his savings to build AI-powered financial coaching startup Treasury.
- Oct 16, 2026,
- Updated Oct 16, 2026 5:00 AM IST
A 25-year-old former Microsoft engineer left a job that paid him more than $200,000 (₹1.89 crore) a year to build his own AI startup, choosing to fund the company with his savings after his applications to startup accelerators failed, The Business Insider reported.
Junead Khan, who lives in Seattle, resigned from Microsoft in August 2025 after working there since 2023. He had initially enjoyed working on the company’s global data centre expansion but later felt his work had become less exciting and was not giving him enough opportunities to develop his AI skills.
Khan told Business Insider that changes at Microsoft also influenced his decision. In early 2025, the company placed greater emphasis on security and service stability following several outages.
"It felt like shipping things got slower. That started to take some of the fun out of the job for me," he said.
Khan earned more than $200,000 (₹1.89 crore) in 2024, including bonuses and stock. Despite the high pay, he had already been working on his own startup, Treasury, during evenings and weekends for nearly two years.
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From a side project to a startup
Khan grew up in the UK and moved to the US in 2019. He began developing Treasury while studying computer science at the University of North Carolina.
The idea came from his experience managing finances across two countries. He wanted to build an AI-powered financial coaching platform that would be accessible to ordinary people.
Khan initially planned to leave Microsoft only if he was accepted into a startup accelerator such as Y Combinator. His applications were unsuccessful, but he decided not to abandon the idea.
Instead, he used his Microsoft savings to fund Treasury himself. Before resigning, he also made sure that some of his company stock had vested and that he would not have to repay part of his joining bonus.
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AI tools help him build alone
Khan launched Treasury in October 2025 and remains its sole employee. He credits AI coding tools, including Claude Code and Codex, with helping him develop the product without a co-founder.
The startup has generated more than $6,000 (₹5.68 lakh) in revenue and attracted paying customers. Khan, however, continues to live off his savings rather than drawing a salary.
He has also built a social media following of approximately 30,000 people by documenting his entrepreneurial journey.
Reflecting on his decision to leave Microsoft and build the company himself, Khan said, "I've learned that sometimes the only permission you need is your own."
A 25-year-old former Microsoft engineer left a job that paid him more than $200,000 (₹1.89 crore) a year to build his own AI startup, choosing to fund the company with his savings after his applications to startup accelerators failed, The Business Insider reported.
Junead Khan, who lives in Seattle, resigned from Microsoft in August 2025 after working there since 2023. He had initially enjoyed working on the company’s global data centre expansion but later felt his work had become less exciting and was not giving him enough opportunities to develop his AI skills.
Khan told Business Insider that changes at Microsoft also influenced his decision. In early 2025, the company placed greater emphasis on security and service stability following several outages.
"It felt like shipping things got slower. That started to take some of the fun out of the job for me," he said.
Khan earned more than $200,000 (₹1.89 crore) in 2024, including bonuses and stock. Despite the high pay, he had already been working on his own startup, Treasury, during evenings and weekends for nearly two years.
Don't Miss: Imran Khan challenges 'leave India' notice over participation in Mumbai protest against CEC
From a side project to a startup
Khan grew up in the UK and moved to the US in 2019. He began developing Treasury while studying computer science at the University of North Carolina.
The idea came from his experience managing finances across two countries. He wanted to build an AI-powered financial coaching platform that would be accessible to ordinary people.
Khan initially planned to leave Microsoft only if he was accepted into a startup accelerator such as Y Combinator. His applications were unsuccessful, but he decided not to abandon the idea.
Instead, he used his Microsoft savings to fund Treasury himself. Before resigning, he also made sure that some of his company stock had vested and that he would not have to repay part of his joining bonus.
Must Read: BMW breaks down at night, catches fire by morning: Owner wins ₹70.75 lakh insurance payout
AI tools help him build alone
Khan launched Treasury in October 2025 and remains its sole employee. He credits AI coding tools, including Claude Code and Codex, with helping him develop the product without a co-founder.
The startup has generated more than $6,000 (₹5.68 lakh) in revenue and attracted paying customers. Khan, however, continues to live off his savings rather than drawing a salary.
He has also built a social media following of approximately 30,000 people by documenting his entrepreneurial journey.
Reflecting on his decision to leave Microsoft and build the company himself, Khan said, "I've learned that sometimes the only permission you need is your own."