Why An IIT Bombay Gold Medalist Left A Rs 2.9 Crore US Job To Run A Grocery Shop
IIT Bombay Gold Medalist Story: His family’s support paid off when Sharma received a job offer from a San Francisco-based startup with a package worth nearly 240,000 US dollars. However, he chose to sacrifice his career to take care of his parents
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IIT Bombay Gold Medalist: An IIT Bombay gold medalist reportedly left his job in the United States (US) with a pay of 2,40,000 dollars (Rs. 2.9 Crore) per annum. While many dream of studying in top institutes like IIT Bombay and working overseas, Vivek Sharma, a BTech in Computer Science refused the job offer from a San Francisco-based startup to run a small grocery store underneath his house.
Why An IIT Bombay Gold Medalist Quit His Rs 2.9 Crore Job
The post, shared on X.com by user Vikas Alwys mentions a heartwarming reason for Sharma to quit his job. Before joining his job in San Francisco with a package of Rs 2.9 Crore, Sharma’s father suffered from a heart attack and his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Sharma chose to stay close with his parents to take care of them and subsequently decided to refuse the job offer.
Sharma reportedly came from a lower-middle-class family in Kanpur and worked hard to achieve his dreams. His parents supported his journey to IIT Bombay by selling their jewellery. They reportedly used all their savings and made careful financial decisions so that Vivek could study in Kota. Sharma’s father worked as a railway clerk while his mother gave tuition classes to support the family.
Sharma Teaches Coding To Underprivileged Kids
His family’s support paid off when Sharma received a job offer from a San Francisco-based startup with a package worth nearly 240,000 US dollars. However, he chose to sacrifice his career to take care of his parents and currently, he runs a grocery store, teaches Coding to underprivileged kids and shared that his parents are his biggest company. While the claims in the post have not been independently verified, Sharma’s story has gone viral with over 3 lakh people online.
Meet Vivek Sharma, a https://t.co/Ws1j7hoGgc Computer Science gold medalist from IIT Bombay, who left a $240,000-a-year (₹2.9 crore) US job to run a small grocery store beneath his house and take care of his parents by staying close to them.
— Vikas Alwys (@VikasAlwys) July 4, 2026
Coming from a simple… pic.twitter.com/7RwTepkL73
Social Media Reactions
One user wrote that Success is defined by the people you choose not to leave behind.
“Success isn't always measured by the size of your paycheck. Sometimes it's measured by the people you choose not to leave behind. Respect to Vivek for defining success on his own terms.” the comment stated.
Another user wrote that success means different to each individual and he chose to respect his values.
“Beautifully said. Success means different things to different people, and he chose the path that aligned with his values. Respect.” the comment read.
