Apoorva Mukhija, better known by her online alias The Rebel Kid, has stirred conversation across social media after a report about her income went viral. According to Business Today, the content creator earns close to ₹2.5 lakh per day through brand endorsements, social media videos, and her participation in reality shows. The report further estimated her net worth to be around ₹41 crore, built through platforms like Instagram.

While the numbers are undeniably impressive, the discussion around her success intensified after an X (formerly Twitter) user, who claimed to be an IIT graduate, compared his academic struggles to Apoorva’s social media stardom. In a post that quickly gained traction, the user wrote, “Studied 14 hrs a day to crack India’s toughest engineering exam, gave up home, friends, cousins, sleep, and dreams – got into IIT, then fought for 4+2 years with CGPA nightmares, lab viva trauma, and placement tension. Today? Not even 100 people know me.”

The post then pivoted to Apoorva’s career, saying, “Meanwhile… reels, red lipstick, semi-nudes and abusing openly, using BC MC as filler can make ₹41 crore empire. World’s truly fair.”

This sparked a heated debate online. While some sided with the IIT alum, others slammed the post for being reductive and sexist. One user responded, “You studied for IIT and achieved your goals. She pursued fame and also succeeded. Comparing apples and oranges is pointless.” Another commented, “This isn’t about fairness. It’s about different paths requiring different skills. Hard work exists in both, just in different forms.”

Apoorva recently gained more attention for her appearance on the reality show The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar. The show brought together content creators in a game of strategy and trust, filmed at Jaisalmer’s Suryagarh Palace. Earlier this year, she also made her film debut in Nadaaniyan, alongside Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor.

In February, she faced criticism after appearing on India’s Got Latent, where she and other guests, including YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, drew backlash for controversial remarks made during the episode.