Byju Raveendran, The Man Who Shed “Crocodile Tears” Has Siphoned Off Funds USD533 Million And Has The Audacity To Say “You Will Never Find It”; A Mockery Of Indian Regulatory Bodies

Byju Raveendran, the man who’s become quite the enigma in the world of edtech, has certainly outdone himself this time. With the audacity of a seasoned con artist, he proudly announced to his lenders, “The money is [in] some place [that] the lenders will never find it.”

How sly of him, and what an audacity! It’s almost as if he’s daring them to uncover his financial shenanigans while crying crocodile tears, claiming his innocence in the background.

Where Is The Money, Honey?
The entire charade began with a simple question: where did $533 million vanish to from the accounts of Byju’s Alpha, the US subsidiary of the edtech giant?

This delightful sum is just a fraction of the $1.2 billion term loan that Byju’s had so casually taken, but who cares about half a billion dollars when you’re in the world of conning people, right?

So, naturally, the lenders embarked on a quest to find this lost treasure. After all, possessing such a hefty sum would undoubtedly give them the upper hand in their repayment negotiations with Byju’s, which was conveniently wallowing in its weakest moment.

But let’s not forget, Byju’s needed that money to fund its day-to-day operations – because, as we know, running an edtech empire is not cheap – especially when you have hundreds of employees to layoff, EPF, salaries still to be paid and barring them to not let the ‘cat’ out of the bag to the media!

Well, here’s the scene: Raveendran, his lawyer, the lenders, and their legal teams all gathered on a call on May 8, 2023.
GLAS Trust, the recovery agent for the lenders, had already moved the pieces on the chessboard by filing a lawsuit in a Delaware civil court, claiming that Byju’s had “concealed” the money.

So Tough
But did Raveendran bat an eyelid?
Of course not! Instead, he continued his bravado and resisted the lenders’ attempts to dig deeper; in fact, his remarks were so shocking that the lenders’ advisor had to jot them down on a piece of scratch paper. Kudos to Raveendran for turning what should be a straightforward financial matter into a conspiracy that’s outright shameful!

As the legal battle raged on, the lenders alleged that Byju’s failed to meet certain terms of the loan agreement, such as submitting audited financials and getting one of its subsidiaries, Whitehat Jr, to guarantee the loan.

But no worries, right? Rules are meant to be bent when you’re a rising edtech superstar; Byju’s simply signed multiple forbearance agreements and continued to merrily go about its business, disregarding the nitty-gritty details.

Now, the plot thickens. Byju’s, in the midst of these so-called “non-monetary defaults,” decided to do something incredibly normal – transfer $533 million to a hedge fund called Camshaft Capital.

Just a casual five wire transfers in April and July 2022, nothing to see here!

Afterwards, Byju’s Alpha had just a meagre $100 million left in its accounts, which it used for interest payments and some mysterious transfers to related entities; therefore, who cares about the whereabouts of half a billion dollars when you have other important expenses?

Predictably, this led to more legal drama, and the lenders sought to replace Riju Raveendran as the director of Byju’s Alpha; they also wanted to change the governance and equity-ownership control and investigate the elusive $533 million.

However, their efforts were somewhat thwarted by the courts while they got access to some bank statements but were denied a deeper investigation into the transfer of funds.

It’s such a shame that they couldn’t get their hands on that money, but I’m sure Raveendran is shedding crocodile tears over that loss.

The Equally Enigmatic “John Doe”
Now, the lenders are up against a wall; Byju’s seems to have outsmarted them at every turn, even after they discovered that Camshaft Capital was the recipient of the $533 million, they found out that the money had been transferred out of Camshaft to another mysterious entity called “John Doe.”

How convenient! And what’s even more amusing is that Byju’s lawyers claim that there were no restrictions on moving the money, so it’s all perfectly legal (who and how much is the legal fee?)

In their desperate attempts to trace the money, the lenders uncovered some rather comical details about Camshaft Capital; apparently, it was founded by a 23-year-old with no formal training in investing, and its address was traced back to the “International House of Pancakes” (IHOP) in Miami (we have in detail covered this).

Outsmarting The Legal System
As the legal saga continued to unfold, the lenders found themselves in a perplexing situation; the court in Miami, where they had filed their second lawsuit, didn’t exactly play into their hands.

In fact, the written order from the court, which was eagerly awaited, turned out to be somewhat of a letdown for the lenders; it seemed like Byju’s had successfully slowed down the legal process, leaving the lenders frustrated and exasperated.

They had hoped that this legal battle would lead them straight to the treasure trove of $533 million, but it appeared that Byju’s was adept at playing the long game.

Amidst all the courtroom drama, there was a glimmer of hope for the lenders; Byju’s reportedly offered a plan to expedite the repayment of $300 million of its outstanding debt within three months.

It’s almost as if they suddenly realized that having half a billion dollars floating around in limbo might not be the best strategy.

The plan involved divesting two of its subsidiaries, Epic in the US and Great Learning in India, which could potentially bring in $800 million to $1 billion in cash – It’s a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, but when you’re in a financial quagmire, you do what you gotta do.

According to insiders, the deals were in advanced stages, with Epic already securing a term sheet for $400 million in cash from a prominent edtech player in the US.

Great Learning was also in discussions with a sovereign wealth fund based in West Asia for a potential acquisition valued at around $600 million.

These divestments were expected to inject a much-needed $900 million in cash into Byju’s, which could then be used to settle its term loan debt; It’s almost poetic how Byju’s, once the darling of the edtech world, had to resort to selling off its prized assets to stay afloat.

Of course, both sides are tight-lipped about the negotiations, and understandably so. After all, when you’re in the midst of a high-stakes financial tug-of-war, you don’t want to reveal your hand prematurely.

Byju’s spokesperson did confirm that the lenders acknowledged the company’s proposal, but beyond that, they remained mum about the ongoing discussions.

It’s clear that both parties are trying to find a way out of this messy situation, one that has dragged on for far too long.

SEBI, Anyone?
The Byju Raveendran vs. lenders showdown has not only exposed the edtech giant’s financial acrobatics but has also highlighted the glaring deficiencies in the regulatory landscape of India, particularly when it comes to overseeing and controlling corporate behavior.

In this case, the failures of regulatory bodies, notably the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), have been nothing short of astounding.

One of the most glaring oversights by SEBI was its inability to detect and address the financial troubles brewing within Byju’s; as the edtech company was rapidly expanding and raising astronomical amounts of capital, SEBI should have been vigilant in monitoring its financial health.

However, Byju’s managed to fly under the radar until it was too late; the fact that Byju’s was on the brink of a default on its loan covenants came as a shock to many, raising questions about SEBI’s due diligence and supervision of such high-profile entities.

Furthermore, the transfer of a colossal sum like $533 million to a hedge fund should have triggered alarm bells within the regulatory framework; in any well-functioning regulatory system, such a significant financial move would have been subject to scrutiny and investigation.

However, SEBI seemed to have been caught off guard, allowing Byju’s to execute this transaction without raising any red flags.

The lack of enforcement and consequences for corporate defaults is another glaring issue; Byju’s repeatedly defaulted on its loan covenants, failed to submit audited financials, and did not provide the required guarantees.

Despite these breaches, the regulatory bodies appeared powerless or unwilling to take decisive action; it raises the question of whether there are sufficient deterrents in place to prevent companies from flouting their obligations.

SEBI’s response to this fiasco has also been perplexing; instead of taking a proactive stance and launching a thorough investigation into Byju’s financial affairs and corporate governance, it seemed content to let the lenders and the courts deal with the mess.

The absence of strong regulatory intervention raises doubts about SEBI’s effectiveness in protecting the interests of investors and maintaining the integrity of India’s financial markets.

Furthermore, the opacity and complexity of India’s regulatory framework have allowed companies like Byju’s to operate in a grey area, taking advantage of regulatory gaps and ambiguities.

The lack of clarity and stringent enforcement mechanisms has given rise to a culture where companies can engage in financial maneuvering without the fear of immediate consequences.

The Last Bit, Byju’s has managed to delay, obfuscate, and frustrate the lenders’ attempts to recover the $533 million.

While, negotiations are ongoing, but one can’t help but wonder if Byju Raveendran has more to hide.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Byju Raveendran vs. lenders spectacle, it is abundantly clear that regulatory bodies, most notably SEBI, have been found wanting in their ability to safeguard the interests of investors and ensure corporate accountability.

This case has unveiled lapses in monitoring and enforcement, allowing a high-profile entity like Byju’s to engage in questionable financial maneuvers and repeatedly breach its loan covenants without facing immediate consequences.

The lack of proactive intervention, transparency, and the absence of stringent enforcement mechanisms have created an environment where corporations can operate in a regulatory grey area.

For India’s financial markets to maintain their integrity and protect the interests of all stakeholders, a fundamental overhaul of the regulatory framework is urgently needed.