'Passion doesn’t pay our bills': Byju’s employee calls out CEO over unpaid salaries after his latest post

Byju’s CEO, Byju Raveendran, assured an employee that pending salaries, unpaid for the past three months, would be cleared—though “not immediately.”

His response came after Hyderabad-based employee Kaushik Lade confronted him in the comments of his now-viral LinkedIn post, questioning the company’s treatment of its workforce amid its ongoing financial crisis.

"We hear your passion, but passion doesn’t pay our bills," Lade wrote. "While you speak of sacrifice, we—the employees who built BYJU’S—have been left stranded without salaries for three months. Our PF remains unpaid. We stood by this company, gave it our best, and now we are fighting just to survive. Please don’t let the people who made BYJU’S suffer in silence. Words inspire, but actions matter."

In response, Raveendran acknowledged the delays but promised that salaries would eventually be paid. "Bills will be paid, comeback will be made, dues will be cleared. Not immediately, but eventually. I am not fighting for just myself. Till then, you have to rely on my words. Till then, you have my word," he replied.

Allegations of ‘criminal collusion’

Raveendran’s viral post, which sparked the employee backlash, focused on accusations of “criminal collusion” against EY India, GLAS Trust, and an interim resolution professional (IRP). He alleged that these entities had acted against Byju’s interests, leading to the company’s downfall.

"Several employees and I received a document with conclusive evidence of criminal collusion between EY India, which I otherwise held in high regard, GLAS Trust, which claims to represent lenders it does not represent, and the IRP, who was appointed by an Indian court to protect BYJU’S but ended up destroying it," he wrote.

He urged authorities to investigate the alleged misconduct but did not disclose further details.

Shortly after his post gained traction, Raveendran’s LinkedIn account and the post itself were allegedly taken down. His wife, Divya Gokulnath, took to social media, stating, "Byju’s post and account taken down. Investigating why. But no problem. Here we go again," along with screenshots of the deleted post. Both the account and post were later restored.

Byju’s struggles continue

Byju’s, once India’s most valued edtech startup, has been in turmoil for over a year. The company is entangled in disputes over a $1.2 billion term loan, with lenders demanding governance changes amid an ongoing insolvency resolution process.

While Raveendran speaks of a comeback, for many employees, the immediate concern remains unpaid salaries—something “not immediately” guaranteed.