Aravind Srinivas, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, has made headlines by becoming the youngest billionaire to feature on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025. With an estimated fortune of Rs 21,190 crore, the Chennai-born entrepreneur has quickly risen to prominence as one of the brightest names in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Youngest Billionaire on the List
At just 31, Chennai-born Aravind Srinivas has entered the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 with an estimated wealth of Rs 21,190 crore, making him the youngest billionaire in the country this year.
Early Life and Education
Born on June 7, 1994, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Srinivas showed a deep interest in science early on. After joining IIT Madras, he not only pursued
studies in computer science but also taught courses on reinforcement learning. He later earned his PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 2021, with research spanning computer vision, reinforcement learning, transformers, and generative models.
Global Tech Experience
Before launching his own venture, Srinivas worked with some of the world’s leading AI research labs. His stints included OpenAI, DeepMind in London, and Google, where he contributed to models such as HaloNet, ResNet-RS, and OpenAI’s celebrated DALL·E 2.
Founding Perplexity AI
In August 2022, Srinivas co-founded Perplexity AI along with Denis Yarats and Andy Konwinski. The startup’s conversational search engine aims to offer fast, accurate, and trustworthy answers, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional search platforms.
Angel Investor in AI Startups
Since 2023, Srinivas has also been active as an angel investor, backing AI ventures like ElevenLabs (text-to-speech) and Suno (text-to-music). His investments underline his broader bet on generative AI innovation.
India as a Growth Market
With India emerging as Perplexity’s largest user base globally, Srinivas is placing strategic focus on the country. Plans include creating a Perplexity fund, exploring engineering hubs in Bengaluru or Hyderabad, and building partnerships across travel, education, shopping, and healthcare.
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