‘Is The Wait Worth It?’: Hotmail Co-Founder Says He Booked Flat In 2012, Still Waiting For Possession 20 Years Later

Sabeer Bhatia, the co-founder of Hotmail, has shared that he is still waiting to receive an apartment he booked in India more than a decade ago. According to him, the project has faced several delays, and he has now been told that he may get possession only in 2032.

His post started a discussion online about long construction delays and the uncertainty that some homebuyers face even after investing in expensive properties.

He Says The Wait Could Stretch To 20 Years

Bhatia, an Indian-American businessman, shared his experience in a post on X. He said he had booked an ultra-luxury apartment in India in 2012.

“I booked an ultra luxury apartment in India in 2012. The project has gone through much drama. I’m told I’ll now get possession in 2032,” he wrote.

“Is the 20 year wait worth it?” he added.

Booking a flat means reserving a property by paying an initial amount and signing an agreement with the builder. Possession happens when the completed apartment is handed over to the buyer. Delays can happen if construction is incomplete or approvals are still pending.

Replying to users in the comments, Bhatia said he never imagined he would have to wait this long. “I’ll be an old man by the time I get it. I booked it as a young man hoping to establish a showcase base in India,” he wrote.

He Questioned The Situation

Some users replied that there was no guarantee he would receive the apartment even in 2032. Responding to one such comment, Bhatia wrote, “That is not good news. Unfortunately, India has become a zero trust transactional country.”

Another user said the money used for the apartment’s down payment could have earned better returns if it had been kept in a fixed deposit instead. Replying to that, Bhatia said, “This experience tells me that India is not progressing in real terms and the leader has no clue that it isn’t growing.”

I booked an ultra luxury apartment in India in 2012. The project has gone through much drama. I’m told I’ll now get possession in 2032. Is the 20 year wait worth it?

— Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) July 28, 2026

Who Is Sabeer Bhatia?

Sabeer Bhatia is best known for co-founding Hotmail, one of the world’s first free web-based email services. He was born in Chandigarh and began his higher education at BITS Pilani before moving to the California Institute of Technology. He later earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Bhatia and his co-founder sold Hotmail to Microsoft in 1998 in a deal reportedly worth around $400 million. More than two decades later, his latest post has brought attention to the long wait he says he continues to face for a home he booked in India.