25-year-old leaves Microsoft's ₹1.9 crore package to build a solo AI startup

Junaid Khan left Microsoft after earning more than $200,000 in salary, stock and bonuses in 2024. He is now running Treasury alone, without a co-founder or external funding, and has generated $6,000 in revenue while relying on his earlier savings instead of taking a salary.

Editor: AI News 24x7 Published: 13 Oct 2026, 10:55 AM Updated: 13 Oct 2026, 10:55 AM

25-year-old leaves Microsoft's ₹1.9 crore package to build a solo AI startup.

Junaid Khan has traded a high-paying Microsoft role for the uncertainty of building Treasury, an AI startup he operates alone. The 25-year-old is working without a co-founder or outside funding, and is not drawing even ₹1 in salary from the venture.

Khan's decision came after nearly 2 years at Microsoft, where he worked on efforts to establish data centres around the world. That role gave him a close view of the infrastructure supporting AI, but he eventually felt it was not helping him develop the advanced AI skills he wanted to learn.

In 2024, Khan earned more than $200,000, including stock and bonuses. By comparison, Treasury has generated total revenue of $6,000 so far, equivalent to about ₹5.4 lakh. He is currently covering his living expenses through savings built during his time at Microsoft.

Why Khan left Microsoft

Khan began his career at Microsoft in 2023 after completing a computer science degree at the University of North Carolina. The source material says technical disruptions at the company at the beginning of 2025 shifted attention towards security and service stability, slowing the pace of product development.

At the same time, newer AI coding tools encouraged Khan to pursue a product of his own. He had already started working on the idea before joining Microsoft and spent almost 2 years improving it during evenings and weekends after work.

The concept grew from a personal challenge. While studying at college, Khan found it difficult to manage his finances between the UK and the US. That experience led him to imagine an AI-powered money coach that could help people manage their finances without spending thousands of dollars on expensive financial advisers.

Building Treasury without funding

Khan initially applied to major startup accelerators, including Y Combinator. He hoped that funding would give him the confidence to leave his job. After he was not selected, he decided to proceed independently.

He waited for his Microsoft joining bonus and stock to vest before resigning in August. Treasury officially launched 2 months later. The startup is designed around the financial-management idea that Khan had been developing alongside his employment.

Claude Code and Codex have played a central role in his solo development process. Khan believes modern AI coding tools have made software development accessible enough for one person to build an entire product.

That approach has allowed him to work without a co-founder or venture-capital investment. However, it also means that he is carrying product development, business operations and the financial risk of the company himself.

Early customers and public updates

Khan has shared his solo-founder journey on social media, including unsuccessful product launches and the difficulties of running a business alone. His audience has grown to more than 30,000 followers across different platforms.

Treasury now has paying customers and has earned $6,000 in total revenue. Khan still considers the business to be at an early stage and is focusing on strengthening its user base before seeking external funding.

The contrast between his previous earnings and the startup's current revenue highlights the financial trade-off behind his decision. He left a role that paid more than $200,000 in 2024, while continuing to fund his personal expenses from accumulated savings and taking no salary from Treasury.

Conclusion

Khan's move from Microsoft to Treasury is a solo startup experiment built with savings, AI coding tools and an early customer base. The business has generated $6,000 in revenue, while he focuses on users before considering external funding.