Entrepreneur Says Taking A Low Salary As Founder Left Him Broke At 43

A discussion about how much startup founders should pay themselves has gained attention on social media after another entrepreneur shared his personal financial struggles. Saurabh Garg said that taking a very low salary while building his businesses left him in a difficult position, and he now wishes he had paid himself more.

Aroleap founder Aman Rai shared a post on X saying that he took only Rs 10 lakh per annum as salary during the first three years of building his home gym startup. Rai later said that he regretted the decision, adding that taking a slightly higher salary does no harm to a startup's health but can make a big difference in a founder's personal life.

Check Out The Post Here:

Hard relate. Never raised apart from a tiny fnf at Meru. Never paid myself well (max I've taken home is 12 LPA and that too when I ran a services business). Now am 43. And broke. Most folks that worked for me got paid market rates. And some more. So they're ok.

I poured from an… https://t.co/H99N0ekroe

— Saurabh (@saurabh) June 30, 2026

Now, fellow entrepreneur Saurabh Garg has agreed with Rai's views by sharing his own experience. Garg, who is the co-founder of The Podium and Meru Life, said that he is broke at the age of 43 because he did not pay himself a higher salary when he should have.

Responding to Aman Rai's post, Garg said that he could strongly relate to it and explained that he never gave himself a proper salary apart from a small full-and-final payout at Meru.

According to Garg's LinkedIn profile, he exited Meru Lifestyle in March 2026.

The Mumbai-based entrepreneur also said that the highest salary he ever took home was Rs 12 lakh per annum, and that too when he was running a services business.

Garg said that at the age of 43, he does not have much to his name and described himself as broke. He added that most people who worked for him were paid market salaries or even more, so they are doing well today.

He further said that he poured from an empty cup and wished he had not done so, adding that hindsight is sexy.