Mumbai Entrepreneur Reveals How A Rs 30 Crore Business Failure Took A Toll On His Health

A Mumbai-based entrepreneur has opened up about the toll a failed business venture took on his health. In a social media post, Prashant Desai shared his experience of losing Rs 30 crore in 30 months from a business failure, noting that while the financial loss was recovered in seven years, the damage to his physical and mental health took significantly longer to heal.

After losing Rs 30 crore in his sports brand venture, Desai revealed he slept less than 6 hours a night and stress-ate, which greatly impacted his health. He struggled with weight gain and noticed his face getting fatter despite running four times a week.

"Everyone was interested in how I lost 30 crores. Nobody asked about what happened to my body during those 30 months. I was sleeping less than 6 hours every night for as long as I could remember. Stress-eating without realizing it. Despite running 4 days a week and trying to stay disciplined, my face kept getting fatter. I couldn't understand it. I was training hard. Why wasn't my health recovering?" he wrote in the post. 

See the post here:

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A post shared by Prashant Desai (@itsprashantdesai)

Eventually, he realised mental stress and sleepless nights were the culprits, and exercise wasn't enough to fix it. He reflected on the toll long working hours take on one's body, noting the entrepreneurial world celebrates hustle but overlooks the life years lost to stress. 

"The answer was under sleep AND chronic stress. Less than 6 hours of sleep destroys insulin sensitivity and testosterone.Elevated cortisol (from stress) blocks fat loss, even with regular exercise. No amount of training can compensate for sleep deprivation," he explained. 

Desai highlighted the risks of entrepreneurial stress, citing examples like Rohan Mirchandani, co-founder of Epigamia, who died of cardiac arrest at 42 in 2024. Others, like Ambareesh Murthy and Siddhartha Bhaiya, also died after suffering cardiac arrest. 

Desai advised fellow founders to prioritise physical and mental well-being by sleeping more, eating well, cutting out alcohol and sugar, and managing stress.

"Within 7 years, I recovered almost all the wealth I'd lost. But not all health. This will take more time. The entrepreneurial world celebrates the grind. We worship founders who sleep four hours. 90-hour work week is celebrated. Nobody talks about the decade they lose of life and health...Money can always be regained, but it's almost impossible to recover lost health," he concluded.