‘Don’t Take Money From Dad, Figure Your Sh*t’: Ankur Warikoo’s Toxic Advice To US-Return Gen Z With Rs 40 Lakh Loan

Influencer and entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo is facing heat online for what is being labelled as “toxic” advice to a 25-year-old struggling under a Rs 40 lakh education loan.

When the person, whose identity

remained anonymous, mailed Warikoo sharing their struggle, Warikoo advised them to figure things out on their own instead of seeking their father’s help.

“I went to the United States for my masters in Fall 2022 and completed it, but I could not secure a full-time job that could sponsor me. I had to return to India in July 2025,” the person said, adding that they currently work in a media company with a salary of Rs 56,000.

“I have an education loan of around Rs 40 lakhs. My EMI is Rs 45,000, rent is Rs 12,000, travel is Rs 3,000, and other expenses come to about Rs 10,000. I somehow manage to put Rs 25,000 towards my EMI and my dad gives me Rs 20,000 every month to help. I am 25 and it feels terrible that I am stuck like this,” the person said.

The person sought Warikoo help to get some clarity on their situation and what to do next.

Got an email from this morning
I went to the US for my masters in Fall 2022 and completed it, but I could not secure a full time job that could sponsor me.
I had to return to India in July 2025.
I joined a media company in Pune in September, but the salary is very low compared…

— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) December 6, 2025

To this, the influencer replied: “If I were you, I would not ask for help from dad and figure things out. It will be tough, extremely difficult – but it will leave you no choice but to work through your difficulties.”

According to Warikoo, the person should stop thinking about their struggles and focus entirely on action.

“Right now the mental health hit you talk about is a privilege – because you have the option of thinking about your state and feeling terrible about it,” he said.

Warikoo also said that he related to the person, noting that he too once felt ashamed and helpless with no safety net. He explained that survival left him no choice but to keep moving despite fear.

“You don’t realise how courageous you are until being courageous is the only option you have,” he concluded his post.

Internet Fume On Warikoo’s Advice

The post has not gone down well with many social media users, who criticised Warikoo, accusing him of offering insensitive and toxic advice to the struggling youth.

“It’s better to admit you’re not qualified to advise than to dish such toxic BS to a young, impressionable young man who is struggling…,” a user commented.

Another person said that Warikoo’s advice is like asking the person to fight with tied hands.

“You told him to fight with his hands tied. I’m telling him to first untie the knots, then pick up the right weapon,” the user commented.

“His mistake was to ask you for help,” another person wrote.

“The mental health hit is not a privilege, it is a trauma response to systemic failure and being lied to for a decade by counsellors and colleges,” another user said, signalling the distress caused to thousands of Indian students due to the recent shift in US policy over immigration.

Ankur Warikoo And Higher Studies

To put more context, Warikoo himself was pursuing a PhD in Physics at Michigan State University, which was monetarily supported by his father. but dropped out at age 24 to return to India to help his family. He later completed an MBA from ISB instead.