Questioning Everything With Vishen Lakhiani—19 Eye-Opening Facts About the Mindvalley Visionary
Updated · Oct 06, 2022
Given Vishen Lakhiani’s net worth, you’d think he’s probably living life to the fullest, going on endless yacht rides, skirting exotic islands with hard-to-pronounce names, and getting wasted on what-not for fun, right?
Wrong.
Vishen is actually one of the most inspirational gurus of the business-slash-spiritual world of today. Although he’d probably discard that label as hogwash.
He’s an entrepreneur and an accomplished CEO who prefers to put everything to the question.
Let’s go over this collection of inspiring facts you absolutely need to know about Mindvalley’s founder.
Absorbing Facts about Vishen Lakhiani, the Mastermind behind Mindvalley (Editor’s Choice)
- Vishen Lakhiani came into the world on January 14, 1976. He was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- The Mindvalley founder married Kristina Lakhiani in 2003, but the couple divorced in 2019, deciding to co-parent their two kids: Hayden and Eve.
- Lakhiani is also a start-up veteran. Before Mindvalley took off, he had at least three failed companies but never gave up.
- He is so busy nowadays he can have 17 meetings a day! They last no more than 25 minutes each so they can all fit into his schedule.
- Vishen Lakhiani’s net worth amounts to a total of $40 million.
- With more than 300 employees, two million subscribers, and 250,000 paying students, Mindvalley keeps on growing.
- The company’s revenue most likely scores above $100 million per year.
- The Mindvalley HQ is considered one of the most beautiful offices in the world.
Vishen Lakhiani Biography
From humble beginnings through learning how to prosper in diversity to establishing the most popular alternative education and self-help platform in the history of the Web.
Who is behind the mind-boggling success of Mindvalley, the platform that took the whole world by storm?
Let’s find out.
1. Who is Vishen Lakhiani?
(Source: BBC)
To most people, he is the CEO of Mindvalley, a company dedicated to providing education in the areas of spiritual growth and constant learning. But he is more than that.
A speaker. An activist. A dreamer. An entrepreneur. A visionary. The list goes on
It is difficult to circumscribe Vishen’s personality within a narrow frame. The self-help guru stays true to his own words and is set on a constant path of personal and professional growth.
Fun fact: Lakhiani is so busy that he takes pleasure (and some deserved respite) in the 25-hour flights between New York and Malaysia that he takes every month or so. He says the flights feel like a spa getaway for him.
2. Vishen Lakhiani’s childhood: between religion and spirituality.
(Source: STARSunfolded)
When most people think of Muslim countries, they tend to look to the Arab Peninsula first. Few know that Indonesia is, in fact, home to the largest Muslim population in the world.
Though much smaller in size and population, Indonesia’s immediate neighbor, Malaysia—Lakhiani’s home country—is also predominantly Muslim.
Although Vishen grew up exposed to both Islam and Hinduism (his family’s religion), he is now more intent upon spirituality. In fact, he’s decided to raise his children without ties to any religious institution.
3. An only child, Vishen takes much after his parents.
(Source: WikiBio)
Vishen Lakhiani’s parents have certainly been a source of inspiration for the young entrepreneur.
His father, Mohan Lakhiani, is also an entrepreneur, though he deals in the export-import business. His mother, Roopi Mohandas, teaches at a public school.
4. Lakhiani barely made it through university.
(Source: Vishen)
Despite his early disillusionment with the educational system, Vishen Lakhiani gave college a try. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be another thorny path.
He managed to graduate from a bachelor’s in Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan. Yet, he did not feel fulfilled. The traditional education system was too old-school for Vishen’s taste.
5. Vishen always “finds time for family”.
(Source: Vishen)
Vishen Lakhiani’s family is at the core of his life and business. He even spells it out on his very own piece of the internet—a website devoted to his life story, projects, and passions.
In his own words, Vishen founded Mindvalley with his children’s future in mind, hoping that they will receive a unique and creative education. Above all, he wishes that they can escape the bleary and boring experience of higher education that he had to wade through.
6. A family of entrepreneurial spirit.
(Source: Thrive)
Meet Kristina Mänd Lakhiani. Born and raised in the Soviet Union, she became the co-founder of Mindvalley before turning 30. She is smart, creative, hard-working, and beautiful.
To put it simply, Vishen Lakhiani’s wife is a wonderful woman—except she is no longer his wife.
Like many disillusioned adults, Kristina suffered a mid-life crisis at 40 and decided to turn her entire life around. She has forged an independent path for herself as a motivational speaker and activist.
Now, the duo enjoys a healthy and calm relationship apart, co-parenting their two children.
7. Mindvalley can teach you how to be a good parent.
(Source: Little Humans)
Vishen Lakhiani’s children are the apples of his eyes. He adores them. In fact, he has repeatedly claimed that his son, Hayden, and his daughter, Eve, have fueled his inspiration for education. He wants them “to inherit a borderless and awakened world”.
So, he joined forces with Renee Airya and Akira Chan, which led to the birth of the “Little Humans” initiative. Their dream is to connect the top experts on parenting with the millions of anxious parents across the globe that crave advice and empathy.
Vishen’s Mindvalley
The two terms are often swapped together. Vishen embodies the core of Mindvalley as much as Mindvalley is symbolized by Vishen’s infinite idealism and passionate drive.
Let’s talk a bit about the educational platform.
8. It doesn’t matter how you start, what matters is that you keep going.
(Source: firstclasse)
Vishen’s meditation routine is a daily ritual.
Like most traditions that really stick to your routine, it had a most unlikely origin story.
Vishen was 17 and acne-ridden at the time, something that his classmates enjoyed teasing him about. At one point, he read that meditation could help keep your skin healthy and decided to give it a go.
He set aside 30 minutes for his double daily sessions. And lo and behold—his acne actually went away.
9. From rags to riches.
(Source: startupgrind)
When Vishen got round to launching Mindvalley, he did not have much. Frankly, he had less than what a second-rate influencer can call upon to start a business.
In 2003, the Mindvalley CEO invested $700 in his start-up. His weapon of choice was also not overly impressive—a dilapidated Toshiba laptop he used in a Starbucks, as he didn’t have an office yet.
10. A million-dollar business and a million-dollar man.
(Source: Growth Takeover)
Rumor has it that the vast corporate empire probably reaps something in the range of $100-$500 million per annum.
But, lacking publicly available data, we can only guess if that is true or not.
Vishen Lakhiani’s net worth is not a scientifically proven number. However, projections put it at $40 million. This includes the Mindvalley revenue alongside any and all seminars and paid content by Vishen across other platforms and his personal channels.
11. Vishen practices what he preaches.
(Source: Mindvalley)
His daily routine allows space not just for meditation, though that one is always a must.
His schedule also includes a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, sweating it out in the gym, and at least 20 minutes of learning something new.
12. At 46, Vishen is one of the most widely recognized people in the world.
(Source: AAE Speakers)
Do not let Vishen Lakhiani’s age fool you—he has many years of professional success left.
Apart from being Mindvalley’s frontman (and as if that weren’t enough), he’s also an impassioned public speaker and an author of motivational books.
Fun fact: Lakhiani’s book “The Code of the Extraordinary Mind” is a New York Times Bestseller. It’s currently available in 25+ languages.
13. Between the Buddha and the Badass.
(Source: The Fabulous Times)
Mindvalley’s founder isn’t all that famous for his books. His preferred medium is more often than not the digital realm or the speaker’s tribune.
His most recent literary creation, “The Buddha and the Badass”, offers a valuable insight into how Vishen’s own mind works. He portrays the Buddha as the traditional introspective thinker as opposed to the creative change-driving badass.
In reality, though, the two archetypes are not polar opposites. If you combine them, you can become truly powerful in business and in spirituality.
Mindvalley’s Net Worth
The creation and development of Mindvalley has been a bumpy but unforgettable ride for Vishen. And its financial and social success is close to mind-blowing.
So, let’s get to crunching numbers and reading through a bit of Mindvalley trivia.
14. Mindvalley has been learning how to grow, almost as much as its students have.
(Source: Growth Takeover)
Vishen Lakhiani’s views on education are much more liberal than his own educational experience afforded.
His brainchild, Mindvalley, has been expanding its coaching and training areas from mindfulness and meditation through health and fitness to overall personal growth.
As recently as 2020, the company launched a course on “accessing changed states of mind and instincts”. We are not entirely sure what that means, but it definitely sounds deep.
15. Know the “brules” and how to break them.
(Source: Mindvalley)
What is Mindvalley teaching the people of today?
Innovation-driven businesses love to coin and embrace their own jargon, and Mindvalley is no exception.
If there is one thing you should remember about Vishen’s strategy in life and in business, it is knowing the “brules” and how to ditch them.
“Brules” stands for “bullshit rules”, or all those little things holding you back from success, self-love and satisfaction from life. Among these, Vishen counts the following: working hard will always help you achieve your goals; it’s bad to pursue money; success looks and feels the same for everybody.
16. Alan Watts, “The Legendary Philosopher”, is one of Mindvalley’s trainers.
(Source: Mindvalley)
A couple of the most celebrated Mindvalley authors include Katherine Woodward Thomas (“Conscious Uncoupling”) and Neale Donald Walsch (“Conversations with God”).
Barbara Marx Hubbard (who is also a public speaker and futurist), Steven Kotler (whose writings are geared towards neuroscience), Michael Beckwith (a spiritual speaker), and Ken Wilber (a philosopher and integral theorist) are also a part of the Mindvalley team.
Fun fact: Mindvalley’s team is truly multicultural. It has 300+ employees from 59+ nationalities. And counting.
17. Mindvalley offices are a whole other level.
(Source: archdaily)
The Mindvalley HQ office is influenced by the architectural style of Antoni Gaudi and the popular design of jungle gyms.
The office is set across multiple levels with glass walls colored in bright hues. The layout and brightness correspond to the open-minded and creative values that the company and its founder hold so dear.
The office is often called the “Temple of Light”, and includes spaces for hypnotherapy sessions as well as power nap rest areas.
18. Where else is Mindvalley located?
(Source: Mindvalley Careers)
Apart from the capital city of Malaysia, Mindvalley also hosts an office in the city of Kota Kinabalu.
You can stumble upon a branch office in Tallinn, Estonia, as well as in some of the hottest places a start-up can be in the US, like LA, Miami, San Diego, and New York.
19. In 2019, the Kuala Lumpur office was rated among the World’s 10 Most Beautiful Offices.
(Source: HealthCare Today)
The Mindvalley office in Malaysia is not only fabulous, but it continues to expand. Recently, the Kuala Lumpur HQ got a new auditorium, which can host up to 150 people.
The purpose of this new space is to foster creativity and novelty-thinking. It’s a place where employees can share common dreams and goals, as well as a hosting platform for stimulating tech and business events.
Wrap Up
Mindvalley has carved its name for good in the history of entrepreneurship. Its huge breakthrough in a world often dominated by Silicon Valley start-ups has captivated business analysts and lifelong learners alike.
Mindvalley’s educational portfolio keeps on expanding, delving into exhilarating realms, including meditation, parenting, and even weight-loss. With millions of fans and followers, we wouldn’t be surprised if Vishen Lakhiani’s net worth kept on rising in the upcoming years.
After reading of Vishen’s inspirational journey, are you ready to get out there, break the “brules”, and become the person you always wanted to be?
Sources:
Unaware that life beyond the internet exists, Nick is poking servers and control panels, playing with WordPress add-ons, and helping people get the hosting that suits them.
