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Woman roasted for mistaking random stranger in Bali for Indian-origin CEO: ‘He had your charms right on’

Janney Hujic's LinkedIn post about meeting Piyush Gupta in Bali was debunked when the real Gupta clarified he was not the man in the photo.

Updated on: May 21, 2025, 14:08:35 IST
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A Singapore woman’s long account of meeting the former CEO of DBS Bank was refuted by the man himself. Janney Hujic took to LinkedIn one day ago to share a lengthy post about meeting Piyush Gupta unexpectedly in Bali. She even shared a photograph with a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Gupta - the former CEO of DBS Bank.

Janney Hujic met a man with a striking resemblance to Piyush Gupta, former CEO of DBS Bank.
Janney Hujic met a man with a striking resemblance to Piyush Gupta, former CEO of DBS Bank.

Unfortunately, a resemblance is all it was - the real Piyush Gupta commented on Hujic’s post to set the record straight.

“Sorry to disillusion you. That isn’t me!” wrote Gupta, the India-born millionaire who served as chief executive of DBS Group between 2009 and 2025.

The exchange has gone viral on social media, leaving thousands of people in stitches.

Janney Hujic’s post

In her LinkedIn post, Janney Hujic said she had a chance encounter with Gupta at a cafe in Bali. Hujic, who has worked at DBS Bank, wrote about being struck by his humility, despite his stature as a respected business leader.

“I glanced across the room and thought, That looks an awful lot like Piyush. Curious, I walked over — and sure enough, it was him. Piyush Gupta, the former CEO of DBS Bank. Casual. Composed. Entirely unassuming,” wrote Hujic in her LinkedIn post.

In her post, the Singapore-based entrepreneur praised Gupta’s humility and “quiet conviction.”

At the end of the meeting, the man pretending to be Gupta even posed for a picture with Hujic.

“That’s not me”

What Hujic did not realise at the time – and even as she wrote the post – was that the man in Bali was a complete stranger who just happened to resemble Piyush Gupta.

The real Piyush Gupta set the record straight himself. “Sorry to disillusion you. That isn’t me!” he wrote in the comments section.

“Oh gosh, I've seen you when I was at DBS couldn't tell the 2 apart. Kudos to him. In his defense he had your charms right on and he said all the right things,” Hujic wrote in response.

Internet in stitches

The exchange has left tens of thousands of people amused.

“LinkedIn has peaked for me, nothing will ever top this,” wrote one person on Threads.

“I am HOLLERING! that man was just having his coffee. ‘No entourage. No airs.’ Because it’s a random uncle ma’am,” another wrote.

“Hilarious! This seems straight out of an episode of The White Lotus,” a person on LinkedIn added.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain

Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience -- from viral videos to human interest copies that spark a conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and finding newsworthy angles in viral content. She writes about a wide range of topics, from business leaders and social issues to everyday people and internet trends. She enjoys speaking to content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs and turning their experiences and stories into engaging, relatable articles.

Discover the latest Trending News, viral videos, social media stories and unusual events from India and around the world. Stay updated with the topics everyone is talking about.
Discover the latest Trending News, viral videos, social media stories and unusual events from India and around the world. Stay updated with the topics everyone is talking about.
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