Can wealth and comfort alone make a person truly content? A post going viral on Reddit has pushed that question back into conversation. A man of Indian origin, who spent a full 23 years in the United States and built a fortune of roughly Rs 56 crore, or 6 million dollars, now says he wants to return home to India. What makes it striking is that the decision has nothing to do with financial hardship and everything to do with the heart. Despite all his success, he says, he still occasionally feels like an outsider, and that quiet feeling is pulling him back toward his roots.
Settling in America is a dream for millions of Indians. Drawn by better jobs, world-class infrastructure, high earnings and global opportunities, large numbers head there every year. But this post laid bare a hollowness that can hide behind the glow of success. When someone spends more than two decades in a place and still finds no sense of belonging, it stops being one man's private story and becomes a larger truth about migrant life.
The post drew thousands of readers. Some backed his decision, while many urged him not to rush. He explained that he built a career in America, invested, accumulated assets and made himself completely secure financially. Even so, he slowly began to feel that money is not everything in life. As age advances, the value of family, community and emotional security only grows.
Why belonging never arrived in 23 years
In his post he wrote, 'When I first came to America, I was very excited. I genuinely felt I had arrived at the center of the world. Compared to the India where I grew up, the infrastructure and standard of living here felt far more advanced.' Like other migrants, he said, his dream had been to build a better future. In the early years everything felt new and thrilling, but with time that excitement faded and a yearning to belong took its place.
Describing his finances, he said, 'My income comes mainly from salary and equity compensation. Beyond that, I have long invested in the shares of American technology companies, which kept growing my wealth. Today my investment portfolio is worth about 6 million dollars, and I hold other assets as well.'
Yet he made it clear that the urge to return is not about money. As he put it, 'This is no longer just a financial decision. Even after so many years, I sometimes feel like an outsider. There is a small but constant distance, hard to put into words. No matter how much success you achieve, at times it feels like you never fully became part of the place.'
New worries that came with age
He also shared his concerns about the years ahead, writing, 'I have started thinking about what life will be like growing old in America. Questions of community support, family connection and emotional security now stand in front of me. I am not fully confident I will find the same peace and belonging here that I might find somewhere else.' He says that despite financial security, a person needs people with whom to share both joys and sorrows. That is why he is now seriously weighing the possibility of moving back to India.
A divided response online
As soon as the post went viral, reactions poured in from every direction. One user advised, 'Maybe take a long trip to India first. Once you are there, it is important to see whether your feelings match reality.' Another wrote, 'Go, brother, go. You have built a solid fortune. 6 million dollars and other assets are no small thing. Enjoy your retirement life in Delhi.'
A third user pointed to family and community as the biggest support, writing, 'Wherever you live in the world, you need close friends or family you can trust and share your troubles and achievements with. That is real community. If you have that, you can be happy anywhere on earth.' Another, however, sounded a note of caution: 'Today's India has changed a great deal from the India of 23 years ago. I am not saying you do not know this, but visiting for two weeks a year and settling forever are two very different things. As others have said, spend a six-month-long stay before you decide.'
Not just one man's story
Many believe this is not confined to a single individual. Plenty of overseas Indians, scattered across the world, consider returning to their homeland after achieving financial success. The biggest reasons are family, cultural connection and social identity. Still, the decision to return is never easy, because over the years both the country and its society have changed considerably.
