LinkedIn identity mix-up post sends Piyush Gupta’s mentions soaring online

We've all probably seen the LinkedIn post of a chance encounter between the founder of an adventure and retreat company with someone she believed was Piyush Gupta, former CEO of DBS Bank.

The twist? It wasn’t actually him. 

In a LinkedIn post earlier this week, the founder recounted meeting a man who bore a striking resemblance to Gupta. She detailed that they spoke for a few minutes, during which she shared her mission to empower women through transformative travel.

"I told him how deeply retreats and expeditions have changed me, and how I now create those experiences for others," she wrote.

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She then said, the man’s eyes “lit up” as he began speaking about the need for rest and renewal, how even a simple beach walk or mountain trek can bring clarity, perspective, and strength. “Over his 40-plus year career, he’s seen how these experiences fuel women’s personal and professional growth,” she added. She then shared a photo of the two of them and reflected on what the moment taught her.

Shortly after the post gained traction, Gupta himself stepped in to clarify that the man in the photo wasn’t him. To which the lady replied that she couldn't tell the two apart and the man in the picture had Gupta's charm and "said all the right things".

Now, in yet another twist, the man in the picture has also spoken up, saying that he had already clarified to the LinkedIn user that he was in fact not Gupta and said such a mistake has happened before. He said he nonetheless agreed to take a picture with the lady as she asked him if it was okay to do so. In an article on Mothership, he then said, they joked about pranking her friends that she had bumped into Gupta by chance on holiday.

"I never, at any point, said that I was indeed Gupta," he said, adding that he did not agree for his picture to be used to promote any business or social ventures. He added that he does not condone any such actions.

How the incident has pushed Gupta's name back into the spotlight

Gupta, undoubtedly, has been one of the most popular CEOs the bank has ever had. His departure in March this year led to countless articles being written about him and his many successes.

Following the post, many LinkedIn users started posting their own versions of bumping into or meeting the real Gupta and the lessons they learnt having met the CEO. According to media intelligence firm CARMA, since the incident, Gupta’s net mentions have jumped fivefold as well. Carma added that some netizens found the mix-up humorous, while others expressed disbelief that the woman couldn't distinguish Gupta from another person. 

Moreover, many users condemned her actions, accusing the woman of seeking clout and potentially engaging in defamation. “This post should be taken down. Using someone’s race and likeness for personal gain isn’t clever — it’s harmful,” one user wrote.

A quick check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE also found that media outlets and social platforms in Singapore and abroad quickly picked up on the story, amplifying the online chatter. The incident sparked discussions about online identity, truthfulness, and the potential consequences of spreading misinformation on social media, according to CARMA.

Under Gupta's leadership, DBS launched several notable campaigns that blended digital innovation with human storytelling, reshaping the bank's brand identity and customer engagement. Some of the biggest campaigns that have happened under his charge was when DBS changed its tagline from “Living, Breathing Asia” to “Live more, Bank less”, the former being the company’s brand promise since 2006.

In 2022, DBS made a big splash with a regional campaign that reflected its belief that, by behaving more like a startup, more like a techie, more like an eco-warrior, and less like a "traditional bank, it can be a bank for the times – because a post-COVID world demands for a different kind of bank. In 2024, Gupta fronted a campaign with Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian (Max) Maeder to galvanise youth to believe in themselves and pursue their aspirations, even if it means taking the path less travelled. 

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