Elon Musk’s $60 billion Cursor deal makes Indian-origin Aman Sanger, Pakistan-born Sualeh Asif $2.7 billion richer

The acquisition has turned the two young technology entrepreneurs into billionaires through their stakes in the artificial intelligence coding startup.

The blockbuster transaction ranks among the largest technology acquisitions in recent Silicon Valley history and marks a major milestone for the company behind the popular AI-powered coding platform Cursor.

SpaceX acquires Anysphere

SpaceX has agreed to purchase Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, in an all-stock transaction valued at $60 billion.

Reports indicate that Aman Sanger and Sualeh Asif each hold roughly a 4.5 percent stake in Anysphere.

Based on the acquisition valuation, both founders are expected to receive SpaceX shares worth about $2.7 billion.

The deal also benefits Cursor co-founders Michael Truell and Arvid Lunnemark, who are expected to receive similar payouts through the stock-based transaction.

Because the acquisition was structured as an all-stock deal, the founders will receive their compensation in SpaceX shares rather than cash.

Founders behind Cursor

Cursor was established in 2022 by Aman Sanger, Sualeh Asif, Michael Truell and Arvid Lunnemark.

The four met while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later launched the AI coding platform together.

Sanger currently serves as chief operating officer of Anysphere, while Asif is the company’s chief product officer.

Aman Sanger’s Indian roots

Although Aman Sanger was born in New York, he comes from a family with strong Indian connections.

His father, Arvind Sanger, is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, while his mother, Shilpa Sanger, is an orthodontist and serves on the board of Pratham USA.

According to reports, Sanger began programming at the age of 14 before enrolling at MIT.

During his university years, he met Asif, Truell and Lunnemark, laying the foundation for what would eventually become Cursor.

Sanger and Truell were also selected as Neo Scholars, a programme that connects promising technical talent with entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley.

Before helping launch Cursor, Sanger reportedly interned at Bridgewater Associates, Google and You.com.

He also ran an artificial intelligence consultancy.

Sualeh Asif’s journey from Karachi to Silicon Valley

Sualeh Asif was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and is widely recognised for his achievements in mathematics.

He represented Pakistan at the International Mathematical Olympiad for three consecutive years, from 2016 to 2018, and earned a bronze medal.

Asif later secured a scholarship to MIT, where he pursued higher education and worked as a research assistant for more than three years before co-founding Cursor.

His academic background and experience in artificial intelligence research played a key role in developing the company’s products.

What is Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-powered coding platform that allows software developers to use artificial intelligence to generate and edit code.

The platform has gained widespread adoption among individual developers and major corporations.

Cursor says millions of developers use its software, while companies including Nvidia, Adobe, Uber, Shopify and PayPal have integrated the platform into their workflows.

Its rapid growth has positioned it among the most prominent AI coding tools in the technology sector.

SpaceX partnership led to acquisition

The relationship between SpaceX and Cursor began earlier this year when the Elon Musk-led company entered into a partnership with Anysphere.

Under the agreement, Cursor gained access to SpaceX computing resources to train its AI models.

The arrangement also included an option allowing SpaceX to acquire the company for $60 billion at a later stage.

The alternative would have required SpaceX to pay $1.5 billion in break-up fees and provide $8.5 billion worth of computing resources if the acquisition did not proceed.

That option has now been exercised through the finalised acquisition agreement.

Cursor’s rapid rise in value

Before the acquisition announcement, Anysphere had already become one of the fastest-growing AI startups in the industry.

The company was valued at $29.5 billion following a $2.3 billion fundraising round completed in November 2025.

The latest $60 billion transaction more than doubles that valuation and underscores growing investor interest in artificial intelligence tools designed to assist software development.