Indian-origin CEO on O-1 visa says FBI detained and questioned him at Miami airport

Vishen Lakhiani, the Indian-origin Malaysian founder and CEO of personal-growth company Mindvalley, shared his experience in a video on Instagram and Facebook.

A Malaysian entrepreneur of Indian descent says a routine arrival in the US turned into a “scary” FBI encounter, despite his elite O-1 visa and long tax record as an American company CEO.

Mindvalley founder Vishen Lakhiani has alleged that FBI agents detained and questioned him at Miami International Airport, fuelling a fresh debate on how immigrants and high-skill visa holders are treated in Trump’s America.

What Vishen Lakhiani says happened in Miami

Vishen Lakhiani, the Indian-origin Malaysian founder and CEO of personal-growth company Mindvalley, shared his experience in a video on Instagram and Facebook. He said two FBI agents approached him as soon as he got off his flight in Miami and stopped him for questioning, even though he holds an O-1 visa, a category reserved for people with “extraordinary ability” in fields such as science, business, or the arts.

According to Lakhiani’s account, the agents asked him to provide personal details, including his WhatsApp number and social media handles. He described the encounter as “scary” and “disheartening,” saying it felt less like routine border security and more like being treated as a suspect.

A high-skill visa holder who says he feels unwelcome

Lakhiani stressed that he is not a casual visitor. He said he is the CEO of an American company that employs around 230 people globally and that he has been paying US taxes for 22 years. Mindvalley, which describes itself as a “personal growth education platform,” has a large online user base and hosts events and programmes around the world.

Despite that profile, he said the episode made him dread travelling to the US. In his video, he linked his treatment to the broader political climate, criticising what he called “fearmongering” and “xenophobia” against immigrants by politicians who “have no idea on how to truly make a country great.”

Why the story is striking people online

Lakhiani’s account has resonated widely because the O-1 is often portrayed as a “gold standard” visa, given only after strict vetting and evidence of notable achievement. His claim that even someone in that category can be pulled aside and questioned by the FBI has become a talking point in discussions about whether the US is becoming less welcoming to global talent and entrepreneurs.

He also framed the incident as a warning for America’s soft power, arguing that such experiences discourage tourists, students, and innovators from choosing the US.

In his post, he said he was “counting the days” to the next election, signalling that he sees the episode not just as a one-off security check but as part of a larger shift in how immigrants are viewed in the country.