The IIT Mumbai graduate says no to Meta’s ₹9.5 crore offer, opting for an AI startup instead. The Internet is responding | Today’s news
The IIT Bombay graduate’s career choice became a topic of conversation on social media after a viral post claimed that he turned down a $1 million (approx. ₹9.5 million) per year to build your own AI startup.
The story revolves around an AI researcher, Rishabh Agarwal, who has worked in some of the world’s leading AI research organizations. While the original post praised him for turning down the lucrative corporate offer, Agarwal later responded with a clarification that added a new twist to the viral claim.
What The Viral Post Claimed
The discussion started after X user Vikas Alwys shared a post describing Agarwal’s academic and professional journey.
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“Meet Rishabh Agarwal who scored AIR 33 in JEE and completed B.Tech, Computer Science from IIT Bombay. He has worked at Google Brain, DeepMind, Waymo and when Mark Zuckerberg personally gave him a job offer of $1 million (approx. ₹9.5 million), he denied it.”
The thread also highlighted Agarwal’s credentials in the AI industry.
“And you know what he’s doing today? He’s building a next-generation AI company called Periodic Labs. Many of us may not know him well, but he’s a big deal in the AI world. That’s because he’s worked at some of the most elite AI labs on the planet: Google Brain, DeepMind, Waymo, and Meta Superintelligence Labs.”
“Despite being offered ₹For 9.5 million a year, he denied it after five months at Meta, left and joined Periodic Labs as a co-founder.”
The post quickly gained traction, with many users applauding Agarwal for choosing entrepreneurship over a high-paying corporate role.
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Rishabh Agarwal answers
As the post continued to circulate, Agarwal himself joined the conversation.
Without challenging the larger story, he corrected one key detail about the reported compensation.
“Meta’s offer was on the order of $1 million.”
Although Agarwal did not disclose the exact amount, his response indicated that the compensation package is significantly higher than the number mentioned in the viral post.
His comment sparked further debate, with many users speculating about the extent of compensation offered by big tech companies competing for AI talent.
Who is Rishabh Agarwal?
According to the viral thread, Agarwal scored an All India Rank (AIR) of 33 in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) before earning a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay.
He has worked at several globally recognized AI organizations, including Google Brain, DeepMind, Waymo, and Meta Superintelligence Labs.
The post states that he is now the co-founder of Periodic Labs, an AI startup focused on next-generation technologies.
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Reaction on social networks
The story drew widespread reactions from entrepreneurs, engineers and AI enthusiasts.
Among those who responded was billionaire entrepreneur Nikesh Arora, who shared the post and wrote:
Other users also weighed in.
“What’s the most interesting thing you’re working on for high-temperature superconductors? I’d be interested.”
“To be fair with what you’ve built, your secondaries will be worth a lot more!”
“You’re working on great things, I hope innovation comes out of it.”
