Dhruv Rathee is an Indian influencer and activist known for his YouTube videos on social, political and environmental issues. Dhruv Rathee has built one of the largest independent news audiences in India from outside the country. His fact-checking format now reaches tens of millions of viewers.
As of 24 May 2026, Dhruv Rathee has over 40 million subscribers and 8 billion views across his YouTube channels. He also has 18 million followers on Instagram, 3.2 million on X and 6.6 million on Facebook.
Dhruv Rathee Wiki and Quick Facts
| Full Name | Dhruv Rathee |
| Date of Birth | 8 October 1994 |
| Age | 31 years (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Haryana, India (listed as Rohtak on some profiles) |
| Education | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany |
| Occupation | YouTuber, activist, vlogger |
| Known For | Political fact-checking, Pee News, Dhruv Rathee Vlogs |
| Father | Mahavir Rathee |
| Mother | Urmila Rathee |
| Wife | Juli Lbr |
| Children | One son, born September 2024 |
| Net Worth | Around Rs 58 crore (estimated) |
Early Life and Education
Dhruv Rathee was born on 8 October 1994 into a Haryanvi Hindu Jat family in Haryana. Dhruv Rathee completed his primary education in the state before leaving for Germany at 17.
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He studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Dhruv Rathee earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in renewable energy engineering.
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He has described the move to Germany as challenging but formative. Dhruv Rathee now resides in Germany, where he settled after his studies.
Family and Background
Dhruv Rathee’s parents are Mahavir and Urmila Rathee. He has a sibling whose identity he keeps private.
Dhruv Rathee has rarely discussed his family in public content. His wife Juli is a German citizen and a medical student, and she appears occasionally in his vlogs.
Career: From Travel Vlogs to Political YouTube
Dhruv Rathee began uploading travel videos in 2013. By the end of that year, he had shifted his focus towards political and social topics.
His first viral political video came in 2014 and analysed the BJP government. According to ThePrint, Dhruv Rathee was one of the first Indian users to use YouTube as a political platform.
From 2017 until early 2020, Dhruv Rathee also wrote opinion columns for ThePrint. His videos are mostly political and rely on fact-checking and explanatory, data-driven formats.
Pee News and the Shows He Hosts
Alongside his serious content, Dhruv Rathee launched Pee News, a satirical “fake news” segment. He hosts DW Travel for Deutsche Welle and Decode with Dhruv for Netflix India.
Dhruv Rathee also runs a podcast on Spotify called Maha Bharat with Dhruv Rathee. In February 2022, he added a YouTube Shorts channel for 30-second fact videos.
Channels and Subscriber Numbers
Dhruv Rathee launched Dhruv Rathee Vlogs in July 2020 to host his international travel content. On 18 April 2024, he announced five new YouTube channels for dubbed videos.
Those channels publish in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada. The expansion pushed his combined subscriber base past the numbers his main channel had reached alone.
Dhruv Rathee Academy and Other Ventures
Dhruv Rathee co-founded Dhruv Rathee Academy with Nas Academy. The platform sells online courses, including a time-management course.
The academy sits alongside his content work rather than replacing it. Dhruv Rathee has kept his main channel focused on explanatory and fact-checking videos.
TIME Next Generation Leaders 2023
In October 2023, Dhruv Rathee was included in TIME’s list of Next Generation Leaders. He was the only Indian on that year’s roster.
The recognition came at a point when his channel had moved well beyond Indian viewers. Dhruv Rathee’s videos on Indian policy were already drawing large international audiences.
Controversies: The Pakistan Video and the Kashmir Map
In September 2022, a video Dhruv Rathee posted about Pakistan’s political crisis was blocked in India. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting acted because the video included a map of India. It did not align with India’s national position on Kashmir.
Following the 2025 Pahalgam attack, Dhruv Rathee faced backlash. Pakistani news channels aired clips of his video criticising the Indian government’s security failures. Dhruv Rathee claimed the clips were misused.
Controversies: Dabur and the Sikh Community Backlash
In March 2023, Dhruv Rathee faced copyright charges from Dabur over his video “The dark-side of cold drinks”. The Calcutta High Court ordered social media platforms to remove the video.
In May 2025, he faced criticism from the Sikh community over an AI-generated thumbnail. The video, “The Rise of Sikhs”, focused on the first Sikh ruler, Banda Singh Bahadur, and showed AI-generated visuals of Sikh gurus.
The backlash included condemnation from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President. Dhruv Rathee removed the video from his YouTube channel after the criticism.
Wife Juli Lbr and Family Life
In November 2021, Dhruv Rathee married his long-time partner Juli Lbr at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. A traditional Hindu ceremony followed in 2022.
The couple met in 2014 on a tram in Germany, where both were commuting daily. Their first child, a son, was born in September 2024.
Dhruv Rathee Height, Age and Net Worth
Dhruv Rathee was born on 8 October 1994, which makes him 31 years old as of 2026. Bio profiles list his height at 6 feet 1 inch, or about 185 cm.
Dhruv Rathee’s net worth is estimated at around Rs 58 crore, according to News18 figures cited by Magicbricks. That works out to roughly $3.4 million to $7 million depending on the exchange rate used.
His income comes mainly from his YouTube channels, brand sponsorships, merchandise and online courses. One estimate puts his average monthly earnings at around Rs 60 lakh.
Dhruv Rathee also maintains a car collection that includes a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, a Range Rover P400e, a BMW 5 Series and a Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. He has invested in at least two startups, Vested Finance in 2022 and the regional OTT platform STAGE.
He lives in an apartment in Berlin, where he has been based since his student years, and he owns a house in his ancestral village in Haryana. These figures remain estimates rather than confirmed disclosures.
Dhruv Rathee Arrested in October 2026
On 10 October 2026, Dhruv Rathee was arrested ahead of the 2026 anti-CEC protests. He was taken from his home in Gurgaon, where he was staying with his parents.
The arrest came amid a wider crackdown around planned demonstrations connected to the Cockroach Janta Party. Dhruv Rathee had not been named as a member of that movement.
Dhruv Rathee House and Investments
Dhruv Rathee lives in an apartment in Berlin with his wife and son. Magicbricks lists the property as a luxurious apartment rather than a house with published sale records.
In India, Dhruv Rathee owns a house in his ancestral village in Haryana. No further details about that property are in the public record.
His startup investments are more visible. Dhruv Rathee joined a $12 million Series A round in Vested Finance in 2022, alongside creators such as Ankur Warikoo and Akshat Shrivastava. In the same year, he invested in STAGE, a regional OTT platform, during its $2.5 million seed round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dhruv Rathee?
Dhruv Rathee is an Indian YouTuber and activist who makes fact-checking and explanatory videos on Indian politics, society and the environment.
How old is Dhruv Rathee?
Dhruv Rathee was born on 8 October 1994, making him 31 years old as of 2026.
What is Dhruv Rathee’s height?
Bio profiles list Dhruv Rathee’s height at 6 feet 1 inch, or roughly 185 cm.
Where does Dhruv Rathee live?
Dhruv Rathee is based in Germany, where he moved for his studies and later settled with his wife.
What did Dhruv Rathee study?
Dhruv Rathee studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in renewable energy engineering.
How many subscribers does Dhruv Rathee have?
Dhruv Rathee has over 40 million subscribers and 8 billion views across his YouTube channels as of May 2026.
Who is Dhruv Rathee’s wife?
Dhruv Rathee is married to Juli Lbr. They married in November 2021 at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, and their son was born in September 2024.
What is Dhruv Rathee’s net worth?
Dhruv Rathee’s net worth is estimated at around Rs 58 crore, according to News18 figures cited by Magicbricks. The figure is an estimate rather than a confirmed disclosure.
Was Dhruv Rathee on the TIME list?
Yes. Dhruv Rathee was included in TIME’s Next Generation Leaders list in October 2023 and was the only Indian on that year’s roster.
Why was Dhruv Rathee arrested in October 2026?
Dhruv Rathee was arrested on 10 October 2026 ahead of the 2026 anti-CEC protests. He was taken from his home in Gurgaon, where he was staying with his parents.