The Truth Behind Sualeh Asif’s Billion-Dollar Success

In recent days, social media has erupted with posts celebrating Sualeh Asif, the founder of a $9.9 billion company, Cursor. Headlines label it as a “Pakistani success story,” a national achievement. But is it really? The truth is uncomfortable but necessary to face: Sualeh didn’t succeed because of Pakistan he succeeded despite it. And if we want real change, we need to stop clapping for borrowed victories and start questioning why success only happens after leaving our ecosystem.

Who Is Sualeh Asif?

• Born: Karachi, Pakistan
• Education: Studied at MIT, USA
• Company: Built Cursor, a $9.9 billion tech firm
• Base: San Francisco, Silicon Valley

Let’s break this down:
He didn’t study in Pakistan.
He didn’t raise funds in Pakistan.
He didn’t build a company in Pakistan.
So why are we calling it a “Pakistani” success?

What Actually Made Him Successful?

Let’s list the real factors behind his success:

• MIT-level education in computer science
• Silicon Valley ecosystem that supports innovation
• Access to venture capital and top-tier mentorship
• A culture that rewards experimentation and ideas
• A tech infrastructure Pakistan currently lacks

That’s it.

If anything, Pakistan’s broken system only served to motivate him to leave.

This is what actually made Sualeh a tech unicorn founder. And none of it came from Pakistan.

The Harsh Reality of Pakistan’s Tech Scene

We need to take a hard look at our own backyard:

• Outdated, rote-learning-based education system
• No focus on innovation, critical thinking, or R&D
• Startup hype without sustainability (Remember Airlift?)
• Lack of proper mentorship, investors, or tech-friendly policies
• No billion-dollar tech company built and scaled within Pakistan

This Isn’t About Negativity It’s About Accountability

This isn’t unique to Sualeh Asif. Consider Ali Abdaal, one of the world’s most successful productivity YouTubers, who also happens to be born in Karachi. His rise happened in the UK, not in Pakistan. Just like Sualeh, his story is proof of what Pakistani talent can achieve when removed from Pakistan’s constraints.

So no, waving flags and slapping patriotic hashtags on Sualeh’s success doesn’t help. It only delays the real conversation we need to have.

• Why do our brightest minds have to leave to thrive?
• Why can’t we build a system that nurtures innovation instead of stifling it?

If we want to genuinely celebrate future tech leaders with roots in Pakistan, we must fix the ecosystem that keeps pushing them away.

Until then, let’s stop pretending someone else’s Silicon Valley triumph is a local milestone. Let’s start building a country where the next Sualeh doesn’t need to leave to make it.

Pattern to notice:

• Pakistani talent + Foreign ecosystem = Global success
• Pakistani talent + Pakistani ecosystem = Chronic struggle

Read More: Top Startups in Pakistan Driving Innovation in 2025

How We Can Improve Our Ecosystem

If we want to stop losing our brightest minds, here’s how we start fixing the system:

• Reform education Replace rote learning with critical thinking and problem-solving.

• Support local startups Create public-private funding programs with clear KPIs.

• Facilitate global networking Make international mentorship accessible.

• Policy reforms Simplify startup regulations and offer tax incentives for innovation.

• Reverse brain drain Offer compelling reasons to stay: competitive pay, research grants, and startup incubators

What Needs to Change in Pakistan

If we want to claim future success stories like Sualeh’s, we need to:

• Invest in modern, innovative education

• Build local startup funding pipelines

• Encourage mentorship and global networking

• Create policies that support tech innovation

• Retain talent by offering actual opportunities

Until then, let’s stop slapping flags on success stories that had nothing to do with the system we refuse to fix.

The Questions We Should Be Asking

Instead of hijacking his win, let’s reflect:

• Why can’t we provide a local environment where someone like Sualeh could build a billion-dollar company here?
• Why do we keep producing talent that has to emigrate to thrive?
• What’s stopping Pakistan from becoming the next Silicon Valley?

Conclusion: Let’s Fix the System, Not Hijack the Credit

Sualeh Asif’s story is not a national victory, it’s a national reflection. His $9.9 billion success didn’t grow from Pakistan’s soil; it bloomed after he left it. And that should concern us more than it excites us.

We have the talent. What we don’t have is the environment to support it.

Until we fix our education system, support real innovation, and build infrastructure that nurtures and not frustrates ambition, we’ll keep exporting our best minds and importing false pride. So instead of claiming someone else’s Silicon Valley achievement as a Pakistani win, let’s ask the hard questions, do the uncomfortable work, and build a system where success like Sualeh’s isn’t the exception, it’s the norm. If we truly want to celebrate the next Sualeh, let’s build a system that doesn’t force our brightest minds to run abroad for a chance to shine.

Until then, let’s not pretend.
Sualeh’s success is not ours.
It’s America’s win. We need to earn our own.