Popular finfluencer Harish found dead in rented villa; death triggers social media debate

CHENNAI: A 27-year-old man, who was popular for his videos on personal finance, was found dead in a rented villa near Muttukadu on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as V Harish, a finfluencer from Puducherry. Harish ran an Instagram channel called 'Finance with Harish' and gave investment advice. His channel had more than a million subscribers, but was taken down in September allegedly due to regulatory violations.

Finfluencers (short for financial influencers) are social media content creators who share advice, tips, and personal experiences about money management, budgeting, stock trading on social media.

Police sources said that his body was recovered from the villa and moved to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for autopsy. No suicide note was found at the spot. The Police have registered a case and are investigating.

Following his death, social media was abuzz with discussions about the influencer's death, with some of his friends alleging on their social media handles that cyberbullying led to the man taking the extreme step, while another section pointed out that Harish's decision should not be pinned on those who pointed out the genuine issues and violations.

The family of the deceased had alleged that cyberbullying could have forced Harish to take the extreme step.