Ashneer Grover Explains Quitting EY in a Day Despite ₹1 Crore Offer

An old video of Ashneer Grover has resurfaced on social media, igniting discussions about toxic work environments. Billionaire Harsh Goenka joined the conversation, criticizing the former BharatPe CEO for “promoting toxic work culture.” In the clip, the former Shark Tank India judge explains why he left Ernst & Young (EY) after just one day, despite a ₹1 crore offer.

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Harsh Goenka Criticizes Ashneer Grover’s Advocacy of Toxic Work Culture

“It’s shocking to see anyone promote a toxic environment. What are your thoughts?” Harsh Goenka commented, including the hashtag #AnnaPerayil, which has gone viral on X after the tragic death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, an EY Pune employee. In a poignant letter, her mother alleged that her daughter died due to overwork. EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani later released a statement refuting these claims.

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Ashneer Grover Shares His Experience at EY

Ashneer Grover revealed that he joined Ernst and Young (EY) with a ₹1 crore salary. However, upon entering the office, he pretended to have chest pain just to leave on his first day. The BharatPe co-founder described the atmosphere as too dull and filled with “zinda leash” (living corpses). He further stated that the best offices are those where employees are actively engaged, asserting, “If anyone claims an office has a toxic culture, then that’s the best place to work.” He emphasized that it’s in such environments where real work gets done.

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Reactions to Ashneer Grover’s Comments on Work Culture

“One user on X remarked, ‘The toxic places only got rid of him to detoxify!’ Another added, ‘People who have already made significant money have the moral right to speak both sense and nonsense publicly. The rest can ignore and focus on their goals.’ A third user commented, ‘As a former EY employee, I feel the work culture is intense and not everyone can handle it.’ A fourth stated, ‘His policy seems to be saying yes to toxic culture.’”

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