In 2022, a 21-year-old MIT student dropped out with three classmates and a single conviction: that every bottleneck between a human and working software could be engineered away. Four years later, SpaceX wrote a $60 billion cheque for what that conviction built.
The student was Aman Sanger. The product was Cursor. And the deal has made him worth an estimated $5.5 billion at 25.
SpaceX announced on Tuesday that it had signed a formal merger agreement to acquire Anysphere Inc., the parent company of AI coding platform Cursor, for $60 billion in stock.
From MIT Dorm Room To A $60 Billion Deal
Sanger was born in New York and began coding at age 14, going on to study Computer Science at MIT, where he crossed paths with Michael Truell, Sualeh Asif, and Arvid Lunnemark.
The four incorporated Cursor in 2022, initially attempting to build an AI copilot for the mechanical engineering industry before pivoting to AI-assisted coding. On LinkedIn, Sanger describes his mission simply: "Removing all bottlenecks in creating software."
Within Anysphere, Sanger serves as Chief Operating Officer, while Truell handles the CEO role and Asif leads product. Sanger has been instrumental in Cursor's explosive growth, overseeing product strategy, distribution, and community building.
What Is Cursor?
Cursor is an AI-powered coding platform designed to help developers write, edit, and understand code more efficiently. Unlike traditional tools focused on autocomplete, it functions as an intelligent collaborator that can analyse entire codebases and generate complex solutions.
The platform has gained traction among developers and enterprises, positioning itself within a rapidly expanding category of AI coding tools. Its ability to reduce development time and improve productivity has made it a prominent player in the AI ecosystem.
ALSO READ: SpaceX Expands AI Push With $60 Billion Acquisition Of Coding Agent Operator Cursor
Explosive Growth, Record Revenue
Cursor crossed $1 billion in annualized revenue in November 2025, and the company has not slowed since.
By earlier this month, Cursor had hit $4 billion in annualized revenue, according to Forbes. Millions of software developers at roughly 50,000 enterprises including Nvidia, Adobe, Uber, Shopify, and PayPal now use Cursor to generate and edit code.
The SpaceX Deal
SpaceX on Tuesday signed a merger agreement to acquire Anysphere in an all-stock transaction, with the announcement coming just four days after the rocket company's record-breaking Nasdaq IPO. Reacting to SpaceX's announcement on X, Sanger posted: "Excited to train some very strong models!" SpaceX said it expects to close the merger by the third quarter of 2026.
Excited to train some very strong models! https://t.co/hsoqfiDzBg
— Aman Sanger (@amanrsanger) June 16, 2026
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Indian Roots, Global Footprint
Before Cursor, Sanger interned at Bridgewater Associates and Google, and ran his own AI consultancy.
His father, Arvind Sanger, is reportedly an IIT Bombay alumnus and hedge fund professional; his mother, Shilpa Sanger, is an orthodontist and entrepreneur. Sanger's story sits alongside a growing wave of Indian-origin founders reshaping global AI — not from IITs or Bengaluru, but from the halls of MIT and Silicon Valley.
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