After 10 years in US, Indian CEO returns home. He shares the main reason for quitting the 'American Dream' and leaving USA

After spending a decade in the United States chasing success, Indian entrepreneur Aniruddha Anjana decided to step off the treadmill. The co-founder and CEO, who once earned around Rs 10 lakh a month in the US, shared on Instagram how he left the so-called “American Dream” behind to return home — and found true freedom instead. Two years after leaving the US, he says his life is happier, calmer, and far more rewarding — both financially and emotionally.

In his post, Anjana revealed that despite earning $12,000 a month in the US, his lifestyle left him with very little to save. Between rent, groceries, childcare, utilities, and other expenses, he was left with just $1,500 — roughly 12% of his income. The long hours and constant financial pressure, he said, made him realise he was working harder without truly moving closer to financial freedom.

That’s when he decided to take a leap of faith. He left his job, started his own business, and moved back to India. Since then, he says his living expenses have dropped to just 10% of what they were in the US — largely because he now lives with his parents — and his income has tripled, all while working half the hours he used to.




In another post, Anjana reflected on his decade-long stay in America, calling it a chase for something that didn’t truly exist for immigrants. He described life on an H1B visa as being part of a “skilled task force” with limited rights and growing disillusionment. The turning point, he said, came when he realised he was caught in a cycle that offered comfort but no peace of mind.

Now, two years after leaving, he runs his US business remotely from India, spends quality time with his family, and travels every few months to new destinations — including occasional trips back to the US, this time as a free man on a B1 visa. In his words, life today feels “stress-free, content, happy, and full of love.