Who is Rahul Vohra? From leaving LinkedIn for ₹144 million to a health crisis that changed his work-life balance

Rahul Vohra was just 27 years old when his first startup, LinkedIn, was acquired for $15 million (approx. ₹144.47 million crowns). Behind the success was a period of intense pressure, which eventually sent the young entrepreneur to the hospital.

More than a decade later, Vohra spoke about how the experience changed the way he approached work, health and business. His second startup, Superhuman, was eventually acquired by Grammarly in 2025 for $825 million.

Who is Rahul Vohra?

Rahul Vohra is an Indian-British entrepreneur and founder of productivity-focused email startup Superhuman. Before building Superhuman, he co-founded Rapportive, a browser plug-in that integrated contact information into email.

Rapportive was founded in 2009 and was purchased by LinkedIn in February 2012 in a deal valued at $15 million. Vohra was 27 years old at the time.

While the acquisition marked a major milestone in his career, the months leading up to the deal came at a significant personal cost.

Rahul Vohra collapses from stress ahead of LinkedIn deal

A few months before the LinkedIn acquisition was completed, Vohra was hospitalized after experiencing severe pain and nausea.

“I didn’t think I was stressed, but I think it’s just because when you’re stressed all the time, you don’t even notice,” Fortune said.

The symptoms started early one morning when Vohra woke up around 3 am feeling extremely ill. At first he tried to continue his usual routine, but his condition worsened as the day progressed.

Around lunch the pain was so bad that he tried to get to the pharmacy near his office. He collapsed on the way outside a McDonald’s store in San Francisco.

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One of his co-founders eventually came to his aid and brought him painkillers. Despite this episode, Vohra returned to work instead of immediately seeking medical attention.

“Like an idiot,” Vohra later recalled of his decision to return to the grind.

Doctors warned Vohr about his lifestyle

Vohra finally went to the hospital the next day, where the doctors ran several tests.

According to Vohr, years of continuous stress combined with poor eating habits and lack of exercise took a toll on his health. He was diagnosed with reflux disease of the digestive tract.

The warning from the nurse made an even deeper impression on him. She told him that his insides probably belonged to someone 10 to 20 years older and advised him to “examine” his life.

Vohra spent a week in the hospital. He then stayed at home with his family for several weeks while he recovered.

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This period gave him time to think about how he wanted to balance his ambitions with his personal life.

A hospital stay changed the way Vohra built his next startup

The experience became a turning point for Vohra. Instead of seeing extreme working hours as an inevitable part of business, he began to look for another way to run the company.

“I personally find it sad and scary when founders in their 20s…(run) into the ground, often much worse than what I did,” Vohra said.

“They do what I do, plus stupid hours, and wear it like a badge of honor. I hope when people read this, they’ll see there’s another way.”

For Vohra, this alternative meant intentionally leaving work after hospitalization and more time for family.

Rahul Vohra took up transcendental meditation

One of the biggest changes in Vohra’s routine came when he began practicing Transcendental Meditation under the guidance of Laurent Valosko, a wellness coach and CEO of the executive coaching firm Peak Leadership Institute.

Vohra learned the practice in India’s Raj tradition, which includes personalized instruction and mantra. His initial training consisted of a few hours over several days.

Even after years of practicing meditation, Vohra continued to meet Valošek in person every two to three months.

Today, the 42-year-old entrepreneur starts his mornings with a 20-minute meditation. He credits the practice with helping him approach the day with a “calmer” and “clearer” headspace.

“When I finally got back to work, all the games that the VCs were playing… that were really getting me suddenly didn’t bother me at all,” says Vohra.

From talkative to superhuman

The lessons Vohra took from his first startup shaped his approach to building his next company.

He went on to found Superhuman, an email company that attracted significant attention in the tech and startup world.

Vohra eventually sold Superhuman to Grammarly for $825 million in 2025. Unlike his first big exit, this time the journey didn’t include hospital visits.

Vohra said the difference is partly due to lifestyle changes he’s made over the years, including regular exercise, meditation and a healthier diet.

“I had this new source of grit and resilience. I just called out the VCs who were telling me their BS and I refused to deal with them because I had this new found source of strength, which was just gratitude for being alive.”

How Vohra changed his lifestyle

Vohra today includes time set aside for meditation and exercise. He also changed his diet after consulting dietitians and nutritionists.

Looking back on the Superhuman acquisition, he said the circumstances were very different from his first startup experience.

“I think I’m just older and wiser, have more perspective, exercise, meditate, eat a lot better,” says Vohra.

“There was no existential dread. We weren’t running out of money. We were growing faster than ever. I could have raised more money. The sale of the company was really more about: Will we achieve our mission together faster if we do this?”

For Vohra, the journey from Rapportive to Superhuman was not just about two successful outings. His experience with the disease at the age of 27 ultimately influenced how he wanted to work, live and build companies in the following years.