New Delhi: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. A prime example of this philosophy is Alakh Pandey, the Founder
New Delhi: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. A prime example of this philosophy is Alakh Pandey, the Founder and CEO of the ed-tech unicorn Physics Wallah (PW). Often referred to as India’s richest teacher, Alakh Pandey’s journey stands as a powerful testament to resilience in education.
Alakh Pandey’s Early Life and Career
Born on October 2, 1991, in Prayagraj(previously Allahabad), Alakh Pandey studied mechanical engineering at Harcourt Butler Technical University. However, it is reported that he left the program during his second year. Not everyone knows that Pandey initially aspired to become an actor and was actively engaged in local theatre during his youth. However, he began tutoring Class 8 students due to his poor financial conditions. Known as the ‘Physics Guy,’ Pandey encountered several challenges in achieving a high score on the JEE.
According to the media reports, his parents sold their home for his sister and his education. A brilliant student, Alakh obtained 91 per cent in Class 10th and 93.5 per cent in Class 12th. At the age of 22, he dropped out of engineering college and returned to Allahabad to teach physics, earning just Rs 5,000 per month at the time.
Alakh Pandey’s YouTube Journey and Physics Wallah channel
It was in 2016, that Pandey started his YouTube journey through his ‘Physics Wallah’ channel. Alakh Pandey embarked on this journey in 2020, alongside Co-Founder Prateek Maheshwari, to make high-quality education accessible to all students in Bharat. In June 2022, Physics Wallah attained unicorn status after securing $101 million in its Series A funding round.
Alakh Pandey’s wife
Alakh Pandey enjoys a happy marriage with his wife, Shivani Dubey, and their love story resembles a scene from a movie. Their first encounter took place at a friend’s office, facilitated by a mutual friend, with Shivani not knowing that Alakh was the co-founder and CEO of Physics Wallah.
Alakh Pandey’s Education
Talking on the same lines, Alakh Pandey helps candidates and students of all ages to prepare for competitive examinations such as the Joint Entrance Examination(JEE), National Eligibility Entrance Test(NEET), CAT, and others. Every year, thousands of candidates appear for the competitive examination; however, only a section of people clear the exam. During these tough times, students should not lose hope and must work hard enough to break the shackles. Likewise, Alakh Pandey did not lose the courage after failing the Joint Entrance Examination.
Beginning with modest origins, Pandey’s channel steadily gained momentum. According to financialexpress.com report, his early earnings were quite small—approximately Rs 5,000 from tutoring fees. Nevertheless, through hard work and creative teaching techniques, his platform skyrocketed in popularity, ultimately evolving into Physics Wallah, an ed-tech firm now valued at over Rs 9,100 crore (around $1.1 billion).
In recent years, Physics Wallah has shown significant profitability, reporting Rs 9.4 crore in 2021, Rs 133.7 crore in 2022, and Rs 108 crore in 2023.
“Padh Lo Chahe Kahin Se Manzil Milegi Yahin Se PW(Physics Wallah) is student’s lifelong learning partner that is democratizing education at scale in India, with a presence spanning online, offline, and hybrid modes, reaching 98% of India`s pin codes. PW has more than 10 million paid students on the PW App. PW also provides quality education to more than 36 million students through its 80 YouTube channels in 8 vernacular languages,” reads a statement on the official website of PW.
With an estimated net worth of Rs 4,400 crore, Alakh Pandey is considered one of India’s wealthiest teachers, though some may argue that other well-known tutors hold that title. While there is no definitive data to confirm who the richest teacher in India is, Alakh Pandey, a popular teacher and entrepreneur, is often seen as a leading contender for the position.
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