Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Varun Mohan: Indian-Origin Windsurf CEO Criticized After Leaving Startup for Google, Impacting $3B OpenAI Deal

Varun Mohan, co-founder of the AI startup Windsurf, faces backlash after abruptly leaving for Google’s DeepMind, derailing a $3 billion acquisition deal with OpenAI. This drastic move has led to harsh criticism from investors and the tech community, with some labeling him a “generational villain.” Mohan, raised in Sunnyvale, California, to Indian immigrant parents, excelled academically, earning dual degrees from MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, focusing on AI infrastructure. He co-founded Windsurf, originally Codeium, which developed an AI-powered integrated development environment (IDE) that gained over a million users quickly. His resignation has sparked outrage, with prominent figures like venture capitalist Vinod Khosla condemning his actions. Despite the controversy, Mohan’s contributions to AI tools are noteworthy, and he continues to impact the industry significantly at Google DeepMind, albeit tainted by the recent fallout.

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