Who is Siddhartha Saxena? IIT Kanpur alumnus who claims he earned ₹76.99 crore in one day

Siddhartha Saxena, an IIT Kanpur graduate and tech entrepreneur, has shared how a single day transformed his financial journey, revealing that he once earned $8 million (approximately ₹76.99 crore) in just 24 hours.

Speaking in a vox pop-style street interview with content creator Viraj Ala, Saxena looked back on his path from a small Indian town to building AI startups in the United States. He also spoke about the mindset he believes is essential for entrepreneurs aiming to build successful businesses.

During the conversation, Saxena said he graduated with a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur. He also claimed that securing admission to the institute's Computer Science programme is "20 times harder" than getting into Harvard University.

Asked about the highest amount he had earned in a year, Saxena responded, "I'll tell you something even better. I made $8 million in a single day."

When the interviewer followed up by asking whether that meant he had become a millionaire overnight, Saxena replied, "Yes, something like that." He added that he became a millionaire at the age of 26.

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Saxena graduated from IIT Kanpur in 2019 and went on to work as a machine learning engineer with organisations including Envestnet, Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, Aalto University in Finland, and Jumio Corporation in Canada.

In 2022, he co-founded Merlin, an AI-powered Chrome extension, along with his IIT Kanpur batchmates Pratyush Rai and Sirsendu Sarkar. According to reports, the company is currently valued at around $50 million. Saxena is also the co-founder of Thine.

Reflecting on entrepreneurship, Saxena said many people in India grow up with a "scarcity mindset" because of limited resources. He argued that entrepreneurs need an "abundance mindset", where they are willing to take risks and actively look for opportunities.

He also contrasted work culture in India and the United States, saying people in the US often choose work because they enjoy it, while many people in India are driven by necessity.

Looking back at his own journey, Saxena said he never imagined reaching this level of success while growing up. When asked whether he had expected such a future at the age of 16, he replied, "Absolutely not."