Student techie builds AI tool to cheat six-figure-salary job interview, gets suspended but secures over $5 million in seed funding
artificial intelligence
is rapidly rewriting the rules of
productivity
, one student has turned controversy into capital. Chungin 'Roy' Lee, a 21-year-old former
Columbia University
student, has developed an AI-powered
job hacking tool
that not only got him suspended but also fetched his startup a jaw-dropping $5.3 million in seed funding.
Cluely, as the tool is now known, began its journey under the name Coder. It functions as an in-browser overlay that discreetly helps users answer coding questions during technical job interviews—particularly those common on platforms like LeetCode. 'I thought, why are we wasting time on these arbitrary puzzles?' Lee explained in an interview with TechCrunch, framing
Cluely
as a natural extension of tech aids like calculators and spell checkers once deemed 'cheating.'
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When Amazon Called, Columbia Answered
Lee's ambitions took a controversial turn when he posted a video using the tool to secure a job offer from Amazon. The video went viral—and not in the way he'd hoped. According to Lee, Amazon was 'extremely upset' and allegedly contacted Columbia University with an ultimatum: suspend the student or risk being blacklisted from Amazon's hiring pool.
What followed was a disciplinary hearing and Lee's suspension from Columbia. Speaking to Dr. Phil, Lee expressed disbelief: 'Obviously, I'm upset because Columbia is supposed to be training the future generation of leaders... I thought, as an Ivy League institution, anyone who's going to openly embrace their students using AI for various purposes that had nothing to do with the school, it'd be Columbia.'
The Morality of Automation
Despite the backlash, Cluely's success is undeniable. The startup, co-founded with COO Neel Shanmugam, has already crossed a $3 million average annual return in the first half of 2025, according to TechCrunch. Its tagline, 'Cheat on Everything,' has made it both notorious and fascinating.
— code_star (@code_star)
In a promo video bordering on parody, Lee demonstrates how Cluely could eventually integrate into AR glasses, helping users lie their way through social situations—like pretending to appreciate art on a first date. Critics compared the clip to an episode of Black Mirror, while others saw it as tongue-in-cheek genius. Either way, it made headlines.
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Lee's story throws open a thorny debate: in a world increasingly dominated by algorithms, what does 'cheating' even mean anymore? Is Cluely a symptom of a broken system that values puzzles over potential—or a tech-savvy shortcut that undermines meritocracy?
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Time of India
4 hours ago
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Mastercard share price: Mastercard stocks soar over 3 per cent after net revenue beats Wall Street expectations
Mastercard shares skyrocketed on Thursday morning after the payments giant surpassed Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit, driven by strong consumer spending on travel and leisure. Mastercard share price rose 3.08 per cent or 17.24 points to $576.35. A mix of higher inflation, interest rate pressures and tariff uncertainty has done little to slow American travelers and shoppers so far, offering a boost to payments firms and big banks alike in the first half of 2025. Payments firms are closely tied to everyday consumer behavior, and most transactions - whether for groceries, fuel, or fewer discretionary items - still flow through the same cards and platforms, helping sustain volume, despite some shoppers paring back on non-essential spending. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Others Product Management Healthcare CXO others Operations Management Degree Finance Data Analytics Data Science Public Policy healthcare Project Management Technology Design Thinking Digital Marketing MBA Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Management Leadership MCA Data Science PGDM Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Gross dollar volume - the total value of transactions processed on Mastercard's platform - rose 9 per cent in the quarter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo Cross-border volume, which tracks spending on cards outside their country of issue, jumped 15 per cent, pointing to still strong consumer appetite for travel and leisure. The company wrapped up the earnings season for Wall Street's biggest payments processors. Rival Visa posted market-beating results earlier this week, while American Express also managed to surpass Wall Street's expectations. Live Events Though analysts caution the momentum may not last if elevated interest rates and rising prices from tariffs begin to strain household budgets, that pressure has yet to show up. In recent years, Mastercard has also diversified its business by expanding into value-added services such as threat intelligence and fraud prevention. Revenue from these services rose 22 per cent on a currency-neutral basis in the quarter. It posted an adjusted profit of $4.15 per share for the three months ended June 30. That compares with Wall Street estimates of $4.03 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. Mastercard's net revenue jumped 17 per cent on a reported basis to $8.1 billion. It beat estimates of $7.97 billion. FAQs Q1. What is Mastercard's net revenue? A1. Mastercard's net revenue jumped 17 per cent on a reported basis to $8.1 billion. It beat estimates of $7.97 billion. Q2. What was Mastercard's adjusted profit? A2. Mastercard posted an adjusted profit of $4.15 per share for the three months ended June 30. That compares with Wall Street estimates of $4.03 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
