'God denied me to become angel,' posts Pepperfry co-founder on Instagram hours before dying of cardiac arrest

Ambareesh Murty, the co-founder and CEO of Pepperfry, on Monday tragically passed away due to a cardiac arrest during his trip to Leh. In an eerie coincidence, his final Instagram post on Monday revealed an ironic twist of fate. The post detailed his encounter with motorcycle troubles on the Manali-Leh highway, where he expressed that God had denied him the status of an "angel" after facing these issues.

In the video captured on the roadside of the More Plains, Murty described the heavenly quality of the road, comparing it to a bikers' paradise. However, the trip took an unexpected turn when his bike's gears malfunctioned, leaving only the first and second gears functional. He humorously described his attempt to troubleshoot the problem, including using a rock to fix the gear pedal, which eventually resolved the issue.

“If God ever got around to creating a heaven for bikers, all roads in heaven will look like this – flat, black tarmac, in the middle of a plane running for kilometres on end. This is the Moor plane in the middle of the Manali-Leh highway,” he began in the video.

“In the middle of the More plains, God will give angels the options to party. Angelic bikers partied, had picnics,” he added.

“I tried to be an angel today but God had other plans for me. He basically refused to accept me as an angel,” Murty concluded.

Pepperfry co-founder Ashish Shah took to Twitter to announce Murty's untimely demise at the age of 51. Murty was renowned for his passion for biking and trekking. He had mentioned in a past interview that he would experience "withdrawal symptoms" if he didn't embark on a ride every few months. His love for adventure extended to his pandemic-era ride from Mumbai to Ladakh on his Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Murty's diverse interests included playing bass in an in-house band and collecting Zippo lighters from Hard Rock Cafés worldwide. His professional journey commenced in 1996, spanning positions at Cadbury, Levi's, Prudential ICICI AMC (now ICICI Prudential), and eBay. In 2011, he co-founded Pepperfry, an online marketplace specializing in furniture. The Pepperfry office in Mumbai is adorned with his trekking memorabilia, reflecting his multifaceted personality.

Ambareesh Murty's passing has left a void in the entrepreneurial and adventure-seeking community, reminding many of his zest for life and his contributions to the business world.

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