Not every success story begins with a degree, money, or privilege. Some begin with rejection — and a refusal to give up. The story of Alakh Pandey, the founder of PhysicsWallah, is one such journey. A 12th pass teacher who once earned Rs 125 per lecture, today holds a net worth of Rs 14,510 crore — surpassing even Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
But this rise didn’t happen overnight — it came through struggle, self-doubt, failure, and relentless persistence.
The Day Everything Broke — and Then Began
Alakh started with a simple dream: to earn enough to support his family. He found a school teaching job, but in a surprising twist, he was fired after his very first class — not for being incompetent, but for being too good, making senior staff insecure.
That could have ended his story. Instead, it began.
He soon joined a small coaching institute in Allahabad, making ₹125 per lecture. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
A Board. A Small Room. And a Name: “PhysicsWallah”.
With nothing but a whiteboard and confidence, he started his own coaching classes. Students loved his high-energy teaching, relatable examples, and raw authenticity. Within three to four years, classrooms overflowed.
But then came silence.
He felt stuck — repeating the same cycle daily. The passion dimmed. So he quit teaching and planned to prepare for UPSC with ₹12 lakh savings.
A Break That Changed Everything
During this “lost” phase, he went to Uttarakhand for three months, away from noise and expectations. And in that stillness, the spark returned.
He came back. He picked up the whiteboard. This time, he turned on the camera.
◆YouTube happened.
◆And India listened.
From a Single YouTube Channel to a Multi-Crore EdTech Unicorn
PhysicsWallah grew from a YouTube teaching channel into a pan-India education platform, affordable to students from small towns who couldn’t pay Rs 1 lakh+ coaching fees.
Revenue (FY 2025): Rs 2,886 crore
Projected Revenue: Rs 3,480 crore
Net Worth: Rs 14,510 crore
Ahead of Shah Rukh Khan: SRK net worth stands at Rs 12,490 crore
Upcoming: A massive IPO that could reshape India’s edtech sector
The boy who wanted to earn Rs 15,000 a month built a billion-dollar revolution.
The Real Lesson
His journey tells us:
It’s okay to get stuck.
It’s okay to take a break.
Just don’t stop knocking on life’s doors.
Alakh Pandey’s success is not about luck.
It is about starting again. And again. And again.
