Alakh Pandey, the face of India’s edtech unicorn Physics Wallah, has rewritten the rules of wealth creation. According to the Hurun India Rich List 2025, Pandey’s net worth soared 223 percent in just a year to ₹14,510 crore, overtaking Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, whose wealth stands at ₹12,490 crore. The leap positions the Allahabad-born entrepreneur among the fastest wealth creators in the country.
Pandey’s journey is not a solo feat. His co-founder, Prateek Maheshwari, also recorded a 223% jump in wealth, reaching ₹14,520 crore, reflecting Physics Wallah’s accelerating valuation. The surge comes despite the company operating at a net loss. Physics Wallah reported a reduced loss of ₹243 crore in FY25, compared to ₹1,131 crore in FY24, while its revenue grew to ₹2,886 crore from ₹1,940 crore in the previous fiscal year.
“The duo’s wealth surge underscores the strong growth trajectory of Physics Wallah, which started from Allahabad and Ajmer,” the Hurun report highlighted.
Shah Rukh Khan Enters the Billionaire Club
While Pandey edged past him in numbers, Shah Rukh Khan made a significant milestone of his own. The superstar officially entered the billionaire club with a 71 percent jump in wealth. His company Red Chillies Entertainment reported a net profit of ₹85 crore in FY23, and the blockbuster success of Jawan further boosted his financial standing. Made on a budget of ₹300 crore, the film grossed over ₹1,160 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk data.
The Road to IPO
Adding to its momentum, Physics Wallah is preparing to float its ₹3,820 crore initial public offering (IPO). The issue includes a fresh raise of ₹3,100 crore and an offer for sale worth ₹720 crore. Founders Alakh Pandey and Prateek Boob will each offload ₹360 crore worth of shares, as per PTI reports. The IPO is being managed by heavyweights like Kotak Mahindra Capital, JP Morgan India, Goldman Sachs India, and Axis Capital.
Backed by marquee investors such as Hornbill, WestBridge Capital, and GSV Ventures, Physics Wallah had earlier pursued a confidential pre-filing with SEBI and has since received approval.
Alakh Pandey’s story is a testament to India’s changing wealth narrative. A dropout from Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, he began teaching physics on YouTube in 2016. What started as a one-man online channel soon evolved into Physics Wallah, now a multi-billion-dollar edtech giant with offline centers known as Vidyapeeths.
Today, the 32-year-old ranks among the youngest and richest entrepreneurs in India, proving that wealth creation in modern India is no longer restricted to legacy business families or Bollywood royalty.
Pandey’s journey is not a solo feat. His co-founder, Prateek Maheshwari, also recorded a 223% jump in wealth, reaching ₹14,520 crore, reflecting Physics Wallah’s accelerating valuation. The surge comes despite the company operating at a net loss. Physics Wallah reported a reduced loss of ₹243 crore in FY25, compared to ₹1,131 crore in FY24, while its revenue grew to ₹2,886 crore from ₹1,940 crore in the previous fiscal year.
“The duo’s wealth surge underscores the strong growth trajectory of Physics Wallah, which started from Allahabad and Ajmer,” the Hurun report highlighted.
Shah Rukh Khan Enters the Billionaire Club
While Pandey edged past him in numbers, Shah Rukh Khan made a significant milestone of his own. The superstar officially entered the billionaire club with a 71 percent jump in wealth. His company Red Chillies Entertainment reported a net profit of ₹85 crore in FY23, and the blockbuster success of Jawan further boosted his financial standing. Made on a budget of ₹300 crore, the film grossed over ₹1,160 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk data.
The Road to IPO
Adding to its momentum, Physics Wallah is preparing to float its ₹3,820 crore initial public offering (IPO). The issue includes a fresh raise of ₹3,100 crore and an offer for sale worth ₹720 crore. Founders Alakh Pandey and Prateek Boob will each offload ₹360 crore worth of shares, as per PTI reports. The IPO is being managed by heavyweights like Kotak Mahindra Capital, JP Morgan India, Goldman Sachs India, and Axis Capital.
Backed by marquee investors such as Hornbill, WestBridge Capital, and GSV Ventures, Physics Wallah had earlier pursued a confidential pre-filing with SEBI and has since received approval.
Alakh Pandey’s story is a testament to India’s changing wealth narrative. A dropout from Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, he began teaching physics on YouTube in 2016. What started as a one-man online channel soon evolved into Physics Wallah, now a multi-billion-dollar edtech giant with offline centers known as Vidyapeeths.
Today, the 32-year-old ranks among the youngest and richest entrepreneurs in India, proving that wealth creation in modern India is no longer restricted to legacy business families or Bollywood royalty.
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