ASPIRE

Ever heard of Neal Mohan? In 2011, Google offered him a staggering $100 million (approximately ₹450 crores) just to stop him from defecting to Twitter. Today, he leads YouTube as its Chief Executive Officer, standing as one of the most powerful figures in global media. Neal was born in Lafayette, Indiana, on July 14, 1973. His father, Aditya Mohan, is an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus who moved to the US in the early 1970s. While Neal spent his early years in America, his journey took a dramatic turn in 1985 when his parents returned to India. Enrolled in St. Francis School in Lucknow in 1986, Neal initially struggled to adapt, particularly with the Hindi language. However, it was here that he formed lifelong friendships and started his first software start-up—building tools for high school students and teachers. This early encounter with technology paved the way for his return to the US to study Electrical Engineering ...