Amid debate over H1B visas and Indian CEOs, X user reminds what happened with the Gupta family in South Africa

For a very long time, we have celebrated the success of fellow Indians who have gone on to become CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world. The likes of Indra Nooyi, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and more became role models for aspirational Indians.

Indian CEOs face social media storm

The same CEOs, who took their companies to unprecedented heights, are now under the scanner for a different reason. Over the past few days, Indian-Americans have come under racially charged attacks on social media, with some even calling it an invasion by Indian immigrants.

One of the allegations the Indian-origin CEOs in the US have faced is that they are allegedly prioritising Indian workers over Americans.

The Gupta family

Amid the growing debate, an X user has warned that the US could witness what South Africa faced due to the Gupta Family.

CREDIT: BLOOMBERG

The Gupta Family referred to Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, and Rajesh Gupta, three brothers from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, who migrated to South Africa in the 1990s and made a fortune there through dubious means.

Gupta Family is a warning of what's to come

"The Gupta Family of South Africa: A Warning of What's to Come. Many have rightly identified the injustices posed by the H1B scam to true Americans, but I want to detail a story out of South Africa regarding the true problems caused by importing materialistic, clannish peoples," the social media user wrote.

The Gupta Family of South Africa: A Warning of What's to Come.

Many have rightly identified the injustices posed by the H1B scam to true Americans, but I want to detail a story out of South Africa regarding the true problems caused by importing materialistic, clannish peoples. pic.twitter.com/pajkOSFZkE

¡ª Andro (@TheAutumnalFire) December 26, 2024

The Gupta Brothers started with Sahara Computers, which used to sell assembled desktops in South Africa, but soon expanded their business into many other areas. The Gupta Brothers also became highly politically influential, and at one point, they were accused of running a shadow government in South Africa.

Well how did they acquire the $350k USD funds to Sahara? First, with Ajay smuggling computers from Nepal into India, competing in the notoriously corrupt "gray markets" of India, and then migrating to Singapore and alleging to have set up manufacturing plants for computer memory¡­ pic.twitter.com/9QiLLE0fBa

¡ª Andro (@TheAutumnalFire) December 26, 2024

"How did the Guptas employ their acquisitions of South Africa's most critical industries and media apparatus? To inflame racial tensions against whites, deploying the phrase 'white monopoly capital' in order to exploit the Jacob Zuma-led government to gain favourable access to commercial investment opportunities," the X user pointed out.

And how exactly did they accomplish this you ask? Not just through their media arms, which had infiltrated and propped up Zuma's leftist party, but also by purchasing an inordinate amount of fake then-Twitter accounts and British PR Firm "Bell Pottinger" to portray Oakbay¡­ pic.twitter.com/MSMHqugIfI

¡ª Andro (@TheAutumnalFire) December 26, 2024

The business empire of the Gupta Family came crashing down in 2016 and 2017 after corruption investigations into Jacob Zuma.

There is much, much more to the Gupta family, and you can find more information as you would like online, but the lesson here is simple. The Guptas were a tight band of brothers set on enriching themselves and their friends through leeching off existing capital while using the¡­ pic.twitter.com/MuDTxfaMBJ

¡ª Andro (@TheAutumnalFire) December 26, 2024

The Guptas were forced to sell their businesses and flee to the UAE, where they are still based, even though they are wanted criminals in South Africa.

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