Indian-Malaysian CEO of American company with O-1 visa stopped by FBI at Miami airport
Born to parents of Indian descent in Malaysia, Vishen Lakhiani is a celebrated motivational speaker who founded his own company.
A Malaysian CEO of Indian descent claimed that he was stopped and questioned by the FBI at Miami airport despite having an O-1 visa. Vishen Lakhiani shared his ordeal in an Instagram post, adding that he was forced to give his WhatsApp number and social media profiles despite being the “CEO of an American company.”
“I arrived in America and got stopped by the FBI at the airport even though I have an O-1 visa, which is a visa for people of extraordinary talent,” Lakhiani wrote.
Also Read: IITian CEO walked away from a ₹4 crore job to launch AI startup that just raised $61 million
He added, “I really can't wait for the next election because what's happening in America right now is insane. The fearmongering, the xenophobia, the blaming of immigrants by politicians with no ideas on how to truly make a country great.”
He further added, “For the record, I’m the CEO of an American company with 230 employees globally and have been paying American taxes for 22 years.” In addition, he shared a video documenting his experience.
HT.com has reached out to Vishen Lakhiani, this report will be updated when he responds.
{{/usCountry}}HT.com has reached out to Vishen Lakhiani, this report will be updated when he responds.
{{/usCountry}}What did social media say?
{{/usCountry}}What did social media say?
{{/usCountry}}An individual wrote, “Thank you so much for speaking truth to power and using your platform to do good. THANK YOU.” Another expressed, “Thank you for speaking out about this. I've done content creation a couple of times for MindValley and will continue to do so because I love the platform and I love that you have integrity and stand up for what you believe in.” A third posted, “I love America, but decided not to visit for the next few years because racial profiling is real.”
Also Read: CEO says life was better before his startup hit $1 billion valuation: ‘No one noticed us’
{{/usCountry}}An individual wrote, “Thank you so much for speaking truth to power and using your platform to do good. THANK YOU.” Another expressed, “Thank you for speaking out about this. I've done content creation a couple of times for MindValley and will continue to do so because I love the platform and I love that you have integrity and stand up for what you believe in.” A third posted, “I love America, but decided not to visit for the next few years because racial profiling is real.”
Also Read: CEO says life was better before his startup hit $1 billion valuation: ‘No one noticed us’
{{/usCountry}}A fourth commented, “Thank you so much for speaking out! I’m so sorry this happened to you. No one deserves to be profiled, questioned, or stopped simply for who they are. Moments like this remind us how far we still have to go as a country. We must choose to see one another with humanity, to celebrate our differences, honour our similarities, and stand together for dignity and respect. Your voice and your work continue to inspire so many of us. Sending you strength today. Sadly, what is happening here is horrific… Not the same country my family and I immigrated to.”
Who is Vishen Lakhiani?
Born to parents of Indian descent in Malaysia, he is a motivational speaker and founder of Mindvalley. Before founding his own company, he took the traditional path of excelling in school and then finding a stable job. However, as he started climbing the corporate ladder, he felt something was amiss.
“But I always felt there was something more — a deeper purpose waiting to be uncovered,” he told Gulf News in an interview. He was working at a high-pressure tech job, but then came the dot-com bubble burst. He felt dejected, but one night he came across an online meditation class that changed the trajectory of his life.
“That changed everything. As I embraced meditation, my performance skyrocketed. Within months, I became the top performer, earned three promotions, and eventually became Director of Sales. Meditation unlocked a new way of using my mind that transformed my life,” he told the outlet.
Eventually, he registered his company in 2004 and started selling meditation CDs online. Slowly, he turned it into a global movement.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
