‘A Generational Villain': Indian-Origin CEO Of AI Startup Windsurf Faces Backlash After Joining Google
Varun Mohan, the Indian-origin CEO of AI startup Windsurf, is facing widespread criticism after he left the company to join Google's DeepMind, following the collapse of a $3 billion acquisition deal with OpenAI. His sudden move, alongside co-founder Douglas Chen, has left Windsurf's remaining team scrambling for stability.
Mohan and Chen's departure came at a time when Windsurf was nearing a major deal. According to reports, OpenAI had nearly acquired the startup for $3 billion, a deal that ultimately fell through. Shortly after, both founders joined Google, leaving the rest of their employees uncertain about the company's future. Over the following weekend, Windsurf's new leadership managed to secure a last-minute acquisition deal with another AI startup, Cognition. The new CEO, Jeff Wang, called the turnaround 'crazy."
Mohan's decision to walk away from the company has drawn sharp criticism from within the tech community. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla was among the most vocal, accusing Mohan of abandoning his team without even sharing the potential financial proceeds.
'Windsurf and others are really bad examples of founders leaving their teams behind and not even sharing the proceeds with their team," Khosla wrote on X. 'I definitely would not work with their founders next time."
So true. Windsurf and others are really bad examples of founders leaving their teams behind and not even sharing the proceeds with their team. I definitely would not work with their founders next time. https://t.co/SBjxB4Pqgs — Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) July 19, 2025
Khosla was responding to Cognition CEO Scott Wu, who also voiced disappointment. 'There's an unspoken covenant that as a founder, you go down with the ship. For better or worse, it's changed a bit over the last year and I think it's disappointing," Wu said.
Social media erupted with strong reactions. 'Varun Mohan is a generational villain at this point.. crazy saga. Also, no word from him," wrote one user. Others accused him of prioritising money over team loyalty.
Alex Kehr, CEO of Superlocal, which was recently acquired by Foursquare, weighed in: 'One of my biggest motivations to get to the finish line this year was making sure everyone on my team had a comfortable landing."
Another X user summed it up: 'Founders cashing out while the team's left behind isn't just bad form, it's long-term reputation damage."
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July 21, 2025, 17:36 IST
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