Ankur Warikoo, roasted as a finfluencer, turns health influencer to be roasted all over again

What's the animal that changes colour depending on the environment? "Influencer" Ankur Warikoo may have failed in various ventures, but he knows how to survive as a chameleon. The PhD student dropout from a US university-turned-CEO-turned-Finfluencer-turned-author-turned-parenting guide-turned-life influencer-turned-Health influencer-turned...

We are not sure if even Ankur Warikoo can keep track of how many times he's 'turned'. You must have heard of Ankur Warikoo if you have ever gone on the Desi internet. He's fond of giving advice (on all life aspects) and rephrasing popular quotes without giving due credit. 

In the latest, Warikoo has been wearing the disguise of a health influencer. Most notably, Warikoo's stint as a health influencer began after being roasted on the Internet for floating dubious investing platforms (crypto), resulting in people losing their money and also having endorsed a startup convention that was built only on lies.  

And as Warikoo's track record holds, the health influencer stint has also invited severe criticism from actual experts on the topic. 

Ankur Warikoo's health influencer stint

• So, Warikoo, 42, recently posted a Twitter thread telling his nearly 6 lakh followers that he shed 8 kgs in 16 weeks and is on his way to getting 6-pack abs by doing a range of things, including taking supplements. 

• And for the supplements, Warikoo was generous enough to provide the exact Amazon links that if his followers buy from then he gets a commission, 100% of which income will go to sponsoring the education of underprivileged children. 

• This did not go down well with Liver specialist Dr Abby Philips, who called out Warikoo for promoting supplements that are not good for the liver.  

• Dr Philips also detailed how consumption of each of the listed supplements is detrimental to health if taken without a doctor's approval.
• There were a few other typical gym bros who came to Warikoo's defence, but we suggest you involve a medical specialist (an actual doctor; not a trainer) when you are trying a new workout or diet routine. 

[ALSO READ: Influencers swear by the Calorie Deficit Diet for weight loss. Dieticians have a warning though]

• Ankur Warikoo also came to the ring to defend his tweets by claiming that he wasn't "endorsing" the supplements or "recommending" them, despite him saying:

We are not sure what an influencer does by tweeting out a bunch of products on Amazon links if not recommending those very specific products for purchase.

• Warikoo also said that his story may even be coming from a potentially "mis-informed" personal trainer. Just like this Twitter user explains, Warikoo's explanation whenever he's called out (not the first time) is usually "oh its (sic) just information, it could be wrong, it could be right".

• Of course, there were zero disclaimers when he made the tweets. 
• After Dr Philips called him out, he added this disclaimer. 

The many gaffes by Ankur Warikoo

• A year ago in July 2022, Ankur Warikoo along with a number of popular finfluencers in India were lambasted online after a Singapore-based crypto exchange platform, Vauld, that they promoted, closed shop.
• Several people who had invested in Vauld, mostly young people, some to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh lost their money. 

• This came after Warikoo and the likes of him adviced their millions of subscribers on YouTube to invest in Vauld as FD and receive a 12 percent return. 
• Warikoo was later quoted as saying that Vauld had not shut down, only "ceased operations" and that people's money was not "lost" just "stuck". There's no news one year later of any of the Vauld's investors getting their money back.
• At the time, responding to the backlash, Warikoo had claimed that he did do his due diligence before plugging in Vauld in his promotional videos, which you have to squint your eyes for to find out that it's promotional. 
• He also said that he had "skin in the game" meaning he had tried the product and liked it and hence was recommending it. He claimed to be just as much affected by Vauld's troubles as his followers who followed him there, once again shrugging off responsibility. 

• Days later, Warikoo shared a story about encouraging his 11-year-old son to invest. This too was met with backlash, with some asking how it justified is to promote investing in children.

The response by Warikoo: Oh well, it's just a thought, not everyone has to agree… 

Then earlier this year, there was another case where Warikoo was dragged through the Internet for promoting a startup convention that made tall and false promises like having the likes of Elon Musk and Nitin Gadkari on the event. The reality was not even 1% of the promises. 

Posters for events where Warikoo graces his presence describe him as everything from a business influencer to a personal development influencer and a mental health influencer too. Perhaps the biggest career advice that Warikoo can give himself is to describe what field of influencing he specialises in. 

Sometimes, Warikoo is selling and making educational content, the other times he says nothing he says is advice or recommendations because it may or may not be true.

Well, while some people have been seeing through his claims right from Day 1, the Internet of course is inhabited by all kinds of people... including the gullible ones that the likes of Warikoo can manipulate (err, advise...). Tip 1: Take everything on the Internet with a pinch of salt. Tip 2: If it sounds too good to be true, take it with a bucket of salt.