Dubai-based world-travelling influencer Anunay Sood passes away at 32

An Indian influencer whose travels took him to nearly 50 countries around the world has died at the age of 32.

Anunay Sood’s death was confirmed by his family in a statement posted to his Instagram account. The cause of his death was not disclosed.

His family wrote: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of our beloved Anunay Sood's passing. We kindly ask for your understanding and privacy as we navigate this difficult time.

“We humbly request you to avoid gathering crowd near personal property. Please keep his family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. May his soul rest in peace.”

Sood, who was raised in India before relocating to Dubai, built a large online following, with more than 1.4 million Instagram followers and around 380,000 subscribers on YouTube.

The influencer began his career doing growth-hacking and marketing for other people before realising that his interest in travel and photography could turn into a platform for him.

His early videos documented low-budget trips in the Indian Himalayas, including videos of him trekking through snow in basic canvas shoes. Over time, his output expanded into professionally shot travel films from 46 countries.

In a 2024 interview with Forbes India, he said the only way to stay relevant as a content creator was to evolve quickly and constantly. Sood said his “first successful video” was shot using the just-launched Reels feature on Instagram to post about his Leh trip, which got him around six million views.

“You have to adapt. I never considered Instagram and all these platforms to be my primary source of income; it was always secondary and I was doing it for my passion because I love travelling and I loved showing it to other people,” he said.

His final YouTube upload, posted two days before his death, featured what he described as “the hidden side of Switzerland”.

His last Instagram post from 4 November saw him at the automotive event Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance at the Wynn Resort in Nevada where he wrote in his caption: “Still can’t believe I spent the weekend surrounded by legends and dream machines.”

Sood co-founded and ran a Dubai-based digital and performance marketing agency, Groundwork Solutions.

His brand collaborations included campaigns with Switzerland Tourism, Visit Saudi, the New Zealand Tourism Board, OPPO, and Airtel.

According to LiveMint, he had a luxury car and watch collection, including a Mercedes-AMG, a Ram 1500 TRX, a modified Thar, and multiple Rolex models.

Sood has also been listed in Forbes India’s “Top 100 Digital Stars” for 2022, 2023, and 2024.

The Independent