New Delhi: Forbes has once again released the list of the billionaires around the world. While the US topped the list with 989 billionaires, China, including Hong Kong, came next with 610. India stood in third position with 229 billionaires in the list.
While top Indian industrialists like Mukesh Ambani (21), Gautam Adani (31), Lakhmi Mittal (70), Shiv Nadar (71), Cyrus Pooonawalla (95), Kumar Birla (119) once again found their names once again, EdTech company Physics Wallah founder Alakh Pandey also found his name once again this year. Though in 2025, Alakh Pandey was ranked 2,938, his net worth was $1.1 billion; this year, he ranked 3,332 with over $1 billion.
Who is Alakh Pandey?
Describing about him in the list, Forbes mentioned him as the “college dropout, who co-founded edtech company Physicswallah in 2020 with his business partner Prateek Boob.” It added, “His ‘Physics Wallah-Alakh Pandey’ YouTube channel has nearly 14 million subscribers.”
Sharing further details, it added, “The Noida-based edtech firm went public in November 2025 and got listed at a 33% premium to its IPO price. Physicswallah also offers courses in subjects such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, software development and banking.
As per Hurun India Rich List 2025, Alakh Pandey’s wealth increased by 223 per cent to Rs 14,520 crore. He overtook Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose net worth stood at Rs 12,490 crore at the time.
Notably, he was born in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. A son of a small contractor and a teacher, he started by giving while still in school. Even though, he failed to get admissions in the IITs, Alakh Pandey enrolled at Harcourt Butler Technical University in Kanpur for a mechanical engineering degree. He dropped out in his third year due to his passion for drinking.