From YouTube Teacher to Billionaire: Alakh Pandey Enters India’s Rich List

Alakh Pandey, the co-founder of the popular Edtech company Physics Wallah, has entered the big league. His wealth has grown by 223%, and for the first time and his name is included in the Hurun India Rich List 2025.

Pandey’s net worth now stands at Rs. 14,510 crore, making him richer than Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose wealth is estimated at Rs. 12,490 crore. He has become india’s fastest wealth creator in percentage terms, alongside top businessmen from sectors like industrial products and jewellery.

His co-founder, Prateek Maheshwari, has also seen his wealth grow at the same pace, securing a position on the list with a similar 223% rise in net worth over the past year.

What makes this sudden rise even more surprising is that it’s happening despite Physics Wallah reporting losses. The company posted a net loss of Rs. 2,443 crore in FY25, but that’s a huge improvement from the Rs. 11,131 crore loss in FY24, a 78% reduction. At the same time, revenues have grown strongly, touching Rs 2,886 crore, compared to Rs 1,940 crore the previous year.

Alakh Pandey comes from Allahabad, and his story is truly inspiring. He left his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, during his third year. In 2016, he started teaching students on YouTube through his channel Physics Wallah. What began as free lessons for IIT aspirants has now grown into a billion-dollar education company.

Today, Physics Wallah is preparing to enter the stock market. The company has already filed papers with SEBI and received the needed Alakh Pandey Overtakes SRK in Wealth. Its official document, called the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP), is expected soon, paving the way for an IPO later this year.