A global custody dispute between Rippling cofounder Prasanna Sankar and his estranged wife, Dhivya Sashidhar, has exploded into public view, revealing disturbing allegations of abuse, surveillance, and international financial manoeuvring, the San Francisco Standard reported.
In March, Sankar, worth an estimated $1.3 billion, turned to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse his wife of abduction and infidelity. But court records, emails, and exclusive interviews with Sashidhar tell a more complex and troubling story.
The startup dream gone awry
The pair, once academic stars in India, married in 2013 after Sankar convinced a hesitant Sashidhar and her parents. Sankar thrived in Silicon Valley, cofounding Rippling with Parker Conrad in 2017. Meanwhile, Sashidhar gave up her career and raised their son.
But she claims Sankar was emotionally neglectful, obsessed with work, and coercive. In court, she testified that he pressured her into painful sex post-childbirth and sought open marriage arrangements and patronage of escorts. Emails support this, including one in which Sankar admitted contacting escorts and apologised.
From tech stardom to international evasion
After stepping down from Rippling in 2020, Sankar, who reportedly owns 9% of the $13 billion company, moved the family across states and countries. According to court testimony, the motivation was tax evasion: from California to Washington, then to Singapore, and finally India.
Sashidhar, meanwhile, lost her job at Microsoft while in Singapore and was dependent on Sankar’s visa. She alleges he installed hidden cameras in their home—including in a bathroom used by their son—to monitor her. Sankar admitted in court to doing so, citing concerns about her fidelity.
Domestic violence claims and custody drama
In late 2023, Sashidhar returned to the US with their son, securing a domestic violence restraining order. Sankar responded by triggering the Hague Convention, claiming wrongful removal of the child. A U.S. court ruled that Singapore was the child's habitual residence and ordered his return.
The saga continued in India, where the couple agreed to a divorce settlement, including $1 million to Sashidhar and shared custody. But after leaving the boy in Sankar’s care on March 3, Sashidhar says he vanished with the child and has not returned him.
Sankar, for his part, denies many of Sashidhar’s allegations and insists he will return their son if the child’s passport is placed in a shared locker to prevent another removal.
A mother left behind
For now, Sashidhar is without her son or a career, left to navigate a public firestorm sparked by her billionaire husband's viral social media posts.
“My identity is lost somewhere,” she testified. “It’s left me, like, scrambling for life.”
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