Sharan Hegde, born in 1995, is India's leading financial influencer and founder of The 1% Club, transforming how millions of Indians approach personal finance. A Delhi College of Engineering graduate, Sharan worked as a management consultant at KPMG and PwC, before missing a promotion and failing to secure IIM Bangalore admission through CAT 2021, Sharan channeled these disappointments into creating "Finance with Sharan" in 2019.

His unique approach, blending financial education with comedy and cosplay, resonated powerfully with India's youth, building over 3.9 million followers across platforms. In 2022, Sharan co-founded The 1% Club with Raghav Gupta, creating India's largest financial education community serving 85,000+ active paying customers. The platform generates approximately $8 million in annualized revenue with 35-40% EBITDA margins, backed by ₹10 crore funding from Nikhil Kamath's Gruhas. Recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2023 and named ET Brand Equity Mega Influencer of the Year, Sharan led The 1% Club to obtain a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor license in February 2025.