While many 26-year-olds are still trying to establish their careers, IIT Kanpur graduate Siddharth Saxena has achieved what most entrepreneurs only dream of. The AI entrepreneur recently revealed in an interview that he earned $8 million (around Rs.77 crore) in a single day, thanks to the explosive growth of his artificial intelligence startup.



His remarkable journey—from a small town in Rajasthan to building a multi-million-dollar AI company in Silicon Valley—has become an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs across India. Who Is Siddharth Saxena?

Siddharth Saxena hails from Alwar, Rajasthan, and comes from a modest background. A bright student from an early age, he completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2019.

Speaking in an interview with content creator Viraj Ala, Siddharth highlighted how competitive admissions to IIT's Computer Science program are.

According to him:

 

"Getting into IIT Kanpur's Computer Science program is nearly 20 times more difficult than getting admitted to Harvard University."

How Did He Earn Rs.77 Crore in One Day?

After graduating from IIT Kanpur, Siddharth moved to San Francisco, USA, to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions.

In 2022, as Generative AI began transforming the technology industry, he teamed up with IIT Kanpur batchmates Pragyush Rai and Sirshendu Sarkar to launch Merlin, an AI-powered Chrome extension designed to boost workplace productivity.

The tool quickly gained popularity among professionals worldwide, helping users summarize content, write emails, generate text, and perform various AI-assisted tasks directly from their browsers.

Today, the startup is reportedly valued at around $50 million (over Rs.415 crore).

During the interview, Siddharth was asked about the highest amount he had ever earned in a year.

Smiling, he replied:

 

"I'll tell you something even better—I made $8 million in a single day."

 

When asked whether that effectively made him a millionaire overnight, he laughed and responded:

 

"You could say that."

'Scarcity Mindset' vs 'Abundance Mindset'

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Siddharth shared an important lesson about the difference between Indian and American startup cultures.

He believes many Indians grow up with a "scarcity mindset" due to limited opportunities and financial constraints, making them more cautious about taking risks.

According to Siddharth:

 

"We come from a mindset where money is scarce. But to build a large company, you need an abundance mindset. In America, many people take risks because they genuinely love what they're building—not just because they need a job to survive."

An Inspiration for Young Entrepreneurs

Siddharth admitted that when he was just 16 years old, he never imagined he would one day build a multi-million-dollar AI company in the United States.

Today, his journey—from a small-town student in Rajasthan to a successful AI entrepreneur in Silicon Valley—serves as an inspiration for millions of young Indians dreaming of building the next global technology startup.