- Byju Raveendran is liable to repay over $1 billion in a US court judgment
- The judgment followed findings of Raveendran's failure to comply with court orders
- The ruling includes $533 million and $540 million awarded on separate claims
Byju Raveendran has refuted judgement made by a US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, which made him liable to repay over $1 billion in damages in litigation connected to allegations involving transfers of funds tied to Byju's Alpha and US-based lender GLAS Trust Company LLC.
As per a press release issued by Byju's legal team, his legal counsel McNutt stated, "We consider that the US Court erred in its judgment of this matter and will be filing the necessary appeals and other contestations related to this judgment and related orders".
According to news agency PTI, he also underlined that the judgement is a default judgment implying that the court issued it without Byju being permitted to present a defense and essentially deprived Byju of the presentation of a defense by relying on its prior order of contempt.
The ruling of the court followed findings that Raveendran failed to comply with multiple expedited discovery orders in the case.
The court awarded $533 million on one claim and $540,647,109.29 on others, bringing the total to more than $1.07 billion. The ruling also notes that monetary contempt penalties ordered at $10,000 per day remain unpaid and have reached hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Raveendran built his profile during the Covid-19 period as demand for online learning increased. Byju's secured major sponsorships, including the Indian cricket team jersey and a global ambassador partnership with Lionel Messi ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The visibility of those deals and rapid expansion lifted his personal wealth and positioned the company as a high-growth brand.
In recent years, however, the business faced significant financial pressure and a sharp decline, with disputes and legal challenges intensifying around the company's debt structure and governance issues.
The judgment, issued in proceedings filed in April 2025, ordered Raveendran to pay $540,647,109.29 to Byju's Alpha, which represents the interests of the term loan lenders. The ruling also states that he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in accumulated contempt sanctions.
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