Not confidentiality: Ankur Warikoo gets candid about why companies hide salaries and treat them as secrets

Entrepreneur and educator Ankur Warikoo recently stirred conversations on LinkedIn with a candid take on why companies spend so much effort keeping salaries under wraps. Sharing a striking image alongside his post, it read: “Salaries don’t stay hidden because of confidentiality. They stay hidden because there isn’t a proper system behind them.”

The real reason behind the curtain

Warikoo explained that the elaborate measures companies use to hide pay are rarely about moral secrecy. Instead, they often reflect the absence of a structured system. “A 30 percent hike at a rival company magically translates into a 30 percent counter-offer, accompanied by ‘Your salary is confidential. Do not share it with anyone,’” he noted.

For Warikoo, money should never be purely “personal.” He practices radical transparency, openly sharing his own income, investments, salary, and even financial mistakes—not to impress, but to demonstrate clarity when nothing is hidden.

Transparency as a system, not a moral choice

Warikoo insists that transparency is not about appearing noble; it enforces discipline and accountability. The process for hiring, as he outlined, focuses on expectations and role benchmarks rather than previous salaries. “Transparency is not a moral stance. It is a systems stance,” Warikoo emphasized, highlighting that structured openness prevents mismatched expectations and encourages fairness.

Ankur Warikoo is a leading Indian entrepreneur, content creator, mentor, and bestselling author. He co-founded Accentium Web, led Groupon India, and founded nearbuy.com, where he served as CEO until 2019. Today, he educates through WebVeda and social media, mentoring founders, investing in early-stage startups, and inspiring millions with insights on personal finance, careers, and life skills.