Rippling Co-Founder Prasanna Sankar Accused of Coercion, Tax Evasion and Exploitation Amid Custody and Divorce Battle
Key Highlights:
New Delhi | April 8, 2025:
Prasanna Sankar divorce custody battle: What started as a bitter divorce and custody dispute has exploded into a storm of allegations involving abuse, exploitation, tax evasion, and emotional trauma, as billionaire tech entrepreneur Prasanna Sankar and his estranged wife Dhivya Sashidhar trade accusations amid a high-stakes international legal battle.
Sankar, co-founder of HR-tech giant Rippling and reportedly worth $1.3 billion according to Forbes, claimed weeks ago that he was “on the run” from Chennai police after his wife accused him of kidnapping their son. But Sashidhar’s side now tells a far more disturbing story.
Wife’s Claims: Soliciting Sex Workers, Coercion, Hidden Cameras
In a detailed interview with The San Francisco Standard, Sashidhar claimed:
- Sankar pressured her into accepting an open marriage
- He solicited escorts and confessed via email
- Installed hidden cameras in their home to monitor her
- Coerced her into painful sex after childbirth, calling it a “primal need”
- Threatened to find other women if she did not comply
- Encouraged her to have sex with his friends
- She was “controlled,” “violated,” and ultimately “destroyed”
She backed these claims with court records, emails, photographs, and legal transcripts from their custody case across multiple countries.
Marriage Breakdown: From Cambridge to Silicon Valley to Singapore
The couple met in 2007, dated long-distance, and eventually reunited in 2013. While Sankar pursued his startup ambitions in Silicon Valley, Sashidhar had a corporate career with Shell and later Microsoft.
They married despite family resistance, only for their relationship to deteriorate amid alleged emotional abuse and financial control. After the birth of their son in 2016, Sashidhar claimed the abuse escalated.
Emails Reveal Confession and Open Marriage Proposal
A December 2019 email allegedly sent by Sankar admits to contacting several escorts and reads:
“I’m super sorry for the stress this put on our marriage. I promise to never put our marriage in this position again.”
In another email the same day, Sankar floated the idea of opening up their marriage, a suggestion he later said was made in a moment of frustration due to a “sexless” relationship.
Tax Evasion and Asset Relocation Allegations by Prasanna Sankar
According to Sashidhar:
- Sankar moved their family to Washington state in 2020 to avoid California income tax
- Later, the family relocated to Singapore to further protect wealth from U.S. tax laws
- He changed his visa status to avoid exit tax on Rippling shares
- Assets were reportedly routed via American Samoa and Saint Kitts and Nevis
In court, Sankar admitted to the offshore holdings and his distaste for paying U.S. taxes.
Custody Fight and ₹9 Crore Settlement
At the heart of the battle lies custody of their 9-year-old son, for which Sashidhar and Sankar have been locked in an international legal fight.
Sankar claims:
- His wife “abducted” their son and took him to the U.S.
- He filed an international child abduction case
- A U.S. court ruled in his favor
- The agreement included:
- ₹9 crore payment to Sashidhar
- ₹4.3 lakh monthly support
- Joint custody arrangement
From Chennai to ‘On the Run’
Sankar alleges that his wife violated their agreement, particularly regarding the child’s passport custody. After a police complaint was filed in Chennai, Sankar claimed:
“Police were tracking my phone, car, UPI, and IP address without an FIR.”
Fearing wrongful arrest, he fled with his son, stating he later provided proof that the child was “safe and happy.”
Wife’s Career Sacrifice and Emotional Toll
Sashidhar testified that she gave up her career for Sankar and followed him globally, often unable to work due to dependent visa constraints.
“It was the worst nightmare of my life,” she said in the interview.
She accused him of emotional blackmail, demanding intimacy at his convenience and threatening to pursue others if denied.
Sankar’s Defense
In an email to the publication, Sankar admitted the open marriage discussion but denied coercion. He said:
“We agreed not to go through with it. I was trying to understand why our marriage was sexless.”
He did not respond to specific allegations related to escorts or surveillance.
Power, Money, and a Family Torn Apart
The Prasanna Sankar divorce custody battle has now escalated from a private legal fight to a global spectacle involving explosive allegations, legal complexities, and personal trauma. With both parties entrenched in their narratives — one of abuse and control, the other of betrayal and legal injustice — the saga may shape how Silicon Valley’s elite are held accountable.
The legal proceedings in India and abroad will likely determine not just custody but the public legacy of a billionaire once celebrated for building one of tech’s fastest-growing startups.
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