From IIT to millionaire: Meet Siddhartha Saxena who earned Rs 77 crore in a single day
One day changed Siddhartha Saxena's life forever. The IIT Kanpur alumnus and Merlin co-founder says he earned nearly USD 8 million (around Rs 77 crore)
One day changed Siddhartha Saxena's life forever. The IIT Kanpur alumnus and Merlin co-founder says he earned nearly USD 8 million (around Rs 77 crore) in a single day, becoming a millionaire at just 26 and cementing his place among India's rising AI entrepreneurs. In a recent street-style interview with content creator Viraj Ala, Siddhartha Saxena reflected on his journey from an IIT Kanpur student to a successful AI entrepreneur. Read Full Story Speaking about his academic background, the Computer Science graduate described IIT Kanpur as one of India's toughest engineering programmes, claiming that gaining admission to its Computer Science course is "20 times harder" than getting into Harvard University.
After graduating in 2019, Saxena built his expertise in machine learning through roles at Envestnet, Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, Finland's Aalto University, and Jumio Corporation before venturing into entrepreneurship. THE USD 8 MILLION MOMENT When asked about his biggest financial milestone, Saxena didn't hesitate. "I'll tell you something even better. I made USD 8 million in a single day," he said. When asked if that made him a millionaire overnight, he replied, "Yes, something like that." The revelation quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the interview, underscoring the scale of value that successful startup founders can create.
BUILDING MERLIN In 2022, Saxena teamed up with his IIT Kanpur batchmates, Pratyush Rai and Sirsendu Sarkar, to launch Merlin, an AI-powered Chrome extension designed to enhance productivity using generative AI. The startup has reportedly grown rapidly and is now valued at around USD 50 million. Saxena is also the co-founder of another venture, Thine, further strengthening his presence in the AI startup ecosystem. For Saxena, entrepreneurship is as much about mindset as it is about technology. He believes many Indians are conditioned by a "scarcity mindset" because of limited resources while growing up. According to him, successful founders need to cultivate an "abundance mindset," one that encourages taking calculated risks, thinking on a larger scale, and focusing on opportunities instead of limitations.
LOOKING BACK Despite his success, Saxena says he never envisioned this future as a teenager. Asked whether his 16-year-old self would have imagined becoming a millionaire through AI entrepreneurship, his response was straightforward: "Absolutely not." His journey from an IIT classroom to building high-growth AI startups reflects how technical expertise, persistence, and bold entrepreneurial decisions can create extraordinary outcomes in the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence. Ends
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