Ankur Warikoo’s LinkedIn post about his driver has sparked a surprisingly big conversation online.The finfluencer recently shared details about Dayanand, who has been working with his family for the past 13 years. Warikoo said he now earns ₹53,350 a month, along with health insurance for his family, a one-month Diwali bonus and a scooty.According to Warikoo, Dayanand started with the family back in 2013, earning ₹15,000 a month. Over the years, though, his job became about much more than simply driving the car.“Our driver, Dayanand Bhaiya, earns Rs 53,350 a month. Plus health insurance for family, a one-month Diwali bonus, and a scooty. He joined us 13 years ago, earning Rs 15,000,” Warikoo wrote on LinkedIn.What Warikoo seemed to value most wasn’t just the work Dayanand does, but the trust that has built up over more than a decade.
He said Dayanand drives his children to their classes, has spare keys to the house and takes care of important errands when the family can’t do them themselves.“He is someone I trust blindly with the safety of my family and I,” Warikoo wrote.He also described Dayanand’s daily routine, saying he wakes up at 4:30 am, goes to bed around 8:30 pm, is always punctual and rarely loses his smile.For Warikoo, that reliability has a value of its own.“
He saves us time, mental load, and effort,” he said, adding that Dayanand had become “one of the best investments” of his money.Warikoo then made a broader point about paying people who work hard for you, saying generosity towards hardworking people can go a long way.But not everyone agreed with the way he framed it.Some users appreciated the fact that Warikoo had publicly acknowledged his driver’s contribution and increased his pay substantially over the years. Others felt calling an employee an “investment” missed the bigger point – Dayanand had spent 13 years giving his time and work to the family.One commenter questioned whether ₹53,350 was really enough after 13 years of service, particularly given the responsibilities Warikoo described.Another user put it more bluntly: “Not sure which part here is ‘investment’.
You are just paying him salary, and he is the one proving his worth by gaining your trust every day.”Others shared their own experiences with long-term domestic workers and said the trust that develops over the years can make an enormous difference, especially for families juggling work and children.The discussion, then, isn’t really just about one driver’s salary.It’s about how people value long-term employees, what fair pay looks like after years of loyalty, and whether trust between an employer and employee should be described as an “investment” in the first place.Warikoo’s post clearly struck a nerve. And the comments show that people have very different ideas about where appreciation ends and fair compensation begins.
