Mumbai, July 16: Siddharth Saxena, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, has made headlines by claiming to earn approximately ₹76.99 crore (around $8 million) in just one day. At the age of 26, he has emerged as a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.
Siddharth, originally from Alwar, Rajasthan, completed his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur. Following his graduation, he worked in research and development roles at various international tech companies.
In 2022, he co-founded ‘Merlin’ with his IIT batchmates Pratyush Rai and Sirasendu Sarkar. Merlin is an AI-powered Chrome extension designed to significantly enhance user productivity. Currently, the startup is valued at approximately ₹415 crore. Following the success of Merlin, Siddharth also launched another AI startup named ‘Thine.’
Merlin, headquartered in the United States, is accessible as a Chrome extension and is beneficial for students, content creators, marketers, and professionals. The founders of Merlin have been recognized in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2024 list.
Siddharth believes that gaining admission to the computer science program at IIT Kanpur is extremely challenging, requiring significant effort. He compares the difficulty to being 20 times harder than gaining admission to Harvard. His interest in AI and machine learning developed during his studies, shaping his path.
He emphasizes that success in business requires not only technological expertise but also the right mindset. According to Siddharth, individuals should adopt a broader perspective and be willing to take calculated risks to seize greater opportunities.