
India’s Youngest Billionaire: Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas
Aravind Srinivas made his debut on the M3M Hurun India Rich List in 2025 with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. Growing up in Chennai, Srinivas developed a passion for problem-solving and mathematics, leading him to study electrical engineering at IIT Madras. He later moved to the United States to further his studies in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Srinivas gained valuable experience in AI by working at Google Brain, DeepMind, and OpenAI, where he was involved in building large language models. In 2022, he co-founded Perplexity AI with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, aiming to revolutionize internet search by providing real-time, conversational answers to user queries.
Perplexity AI quickly attracted millions of users due to its simplicity and accuracy. By 2025, it had become a formidable competitor in the AI search industry, drawing significant investments from major Silicon Valley figures. The company distinguished itself by emphasizing transparency and fact-checking, setting it apart from Google.
Srinivas's rise signifies a shift in India's wealth creation from inherited businesses to new-age industries like AI. His journey from Chennai classrooms to competing with Sundar Pichai's Google marks a significant chapter in the global search landscape.