A Tale of Two Fortunes and a Changing of the Guard
In the gilded pages of the Hurun India Rich List 2025, a seismic shift occurred a data point that transcended mere numbers to become a defining cultural and economic event. Alakh Pandey, the 32-year-old co-founder of the edtech behemoth PhysicsWallah, witnessed his personal wealth surge by an astonishing 223 per cent, reaching an estimated Rs.14,510 crore. In doing so, he eclipsed one of the most enduring symbols of Indian success and aspiration: the Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, whose own formidable fortune, after a 71 per cent rise, stood at Rs. 12,490 crore.
This is not simply a story about a new name on a list. It is a narrative that captures the collision of two Indias. It pits the meteoric, disruptive force of digital education against the diversified, resilient power of a cultural dynasty built over decades. This is the story of “New Money” forged in the crucible of a YouTube channel and scaled through venture capital audaciously challenging the “Old Guard,” an empire meticulously constructed on a foundation of starlight, strategic enterprise, and global brand power.
At the heart of this narrative are two profoundly different, yet equally iconic, protagonists. On one side stands Alakh Pandey, the college dropout from Prayagraj, a teacher by passion who stumbled into entrepreneurship. His journey from a modest YouTube channel, launched with just Rs. 30,000, to the helm of India’s 101st unicorn is a powerful testament to the democratizing force of technology, community, and accessible education. His wealth is a reflection of a business model built to serve the millions, not the elite.
On the other side is Shah Rukh Khan, the 59-year-old “Badshah of Bollywood.” For over three decades, he has been more than an actor; he is a cultural institution. Yet, his official entry into the Hurun billionaire club this year was not merely a product of his cinematic triumphs. It was the culmination of a masterfully executed, two-decade-long strategy to convert his on-screen charisma into a formidable, multi-pronged business empire, spanning film production, visual effects, professional sports, and a web of savvy investments.
This report will conduct a forensic analysis of this monumental changing of the guard. It will deconstruct the engines of wealth that propelled both men to the apex of India’s rich list, examining their contrasting business philosophies and the market forces that shaped their trajectories. By dissecting the anatomy of an edtech revolution and the architecture of a celebrity empire, this deep dive will go beyond the headlines to reveal what this inflection point truly signifies for the future of ambition, innovation, and wealth creation in a rapidly transforming India.
‘Physics Wallah’ Anatomy of an Edtech Revolution
The story of PhysicsWallah is not a conventional corporate saga of boardroom strategies and calculated market entries. It is a deeply human narrative that began with one teacher’s passion and an unwavering commitment to his students. This section dissects the journey of its founders and the disruptive business model that propelled a simple YouTube channel into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise poised to reshape India’s educational landscape.
From a Rented Room in Prayagraj to a Rs. 14,510 Crore Fortune
The genesis of PhysicsWallah can be traced back to the humble beginnings of its founder, Alakh Pandey. Raised in a modest family in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, he grew up in what has been described as “dire straits,” facing significant financial hardships that compelled him to start tutoring younger students to support his family while funding his own education. This early experience ignited a deep-seated passion for teaching, a calling so strong that it eventually led him to drop out of his mechanical engineering program at Harcourt Butler Technical University in Kanpur to pursue it full-time. In 2016, armed with an initial fund of just Rs. 30,000, a borrowed laptop, and an immense reservoir of passion, Pandey launched the “Physics Wallah” YouTube channel. His mission was simple: to provide high-quality, accessible coaching for students preparing for India’s notoriously difficult competitive exams, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medicine. What set him apart in a crowded field of online educators was not just his command of physics but his unique teaching pedagogy. His style, characterized by its clarity, simplicity, and a generous infusion of humor, made complex scientific concepts digestible and relatable. He wasn’t just a lecturer; he was a mentor, a guide, and a friend to his students. This authentic connection became the bedrock of his brand. Viral moments and heartfelt interactions defined his relationship with his student community. In a poignant YouTube message to aspirants who had failed to clear the JEE exams, he began with a deeply empathetic, “Bahut bura lag raha na, beta?” (“You’re feeling terrible, aren’t you, my child?”), acknowledging their pain before urging them to see the journey as a lesson in resilience. This raw emotional honesty resonated deeply. In a TEDx talk, he famously reinterpreted Einstein’s iconic equation, , to encapsulate his own journey: “Every growth = Me x Connections & Community,” placing his students at the center of his success. He often shared personal stories and motivational messages, encouraging students to dedicate their lives to their parents, a sentiment he wished he had realized earlier himself.
This bond was forged from a genuine mission. Pandey has recalled meeting a student who could not afford the exorbitant fees charged by traditional coaching centers, a moment that crystallized his resolve to democratize education. It led to his powerful declaration: “India is a free country. But education is not and I plan to change that with my team of teachers and students”. This wasn’t a marketing slogan; it was the foundational principle upon which a Rs. 14,510 crore fortune would be built.
The Quiet Architec Prateek Maheshwari, the Tech Brains Behind the Brand
While Alakh Pandey is the charismatic face and beating heart of PhysicsWallah, the company’s transformation from a beloved YouTube channel into a scalable, tech-driven unicorn owes a great deal to its “quiet co-founder,” Prateek Maheshwari. His wealth, like Pandey’s, saw a meteoric 223% surge, reaching an estimated Rs. 14,520 crore, underscoring his indispensable role in the company’s architecture.
Maheshwari brought to the partnership a formidable combination of technical expertise and seasoned entrepreneurial experience. An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he possessed nearly two decades of experience in building tech-based companies, including ventures like PenPencil and Night Panda. His background was the perfect complement to Pandey’s content-driven, community-focused approach.
He officially joined forces with Pandey in 2020, sharing the ambitious vision to “democratise education at scale in India”. His impact was immediate and transformative. Maheshwari took charge of strategy, innovation, product, and technology, becoming the driving force behind a pivotal strategic shift: the transition from a purely YouTube-based presence to a full-fledged, app-based learning platform. This move was critical. It allowed PhysicsWallah to create a structured, monetizable ecosystem with courses, tests, and personalized learning tools, enabling it to compete directly with established, heavily funded giants like Byju’s and Unacademy.
The timeline of the company’s growth underscores Maheshwari’s influence. While Pandey had built a massive and loyal community between 2016 and 2020, it was after Maheshwari’s arrival that the formal business structure was created, the PW app was launched, and the company was set on a path that led to its first major funding round and unicorn status in June 2022. If Pandey was the visionary who created the brand’s soul, Maheshwari was the architect who built the robust technological skeleton necessary for it to scale into a commercial empire.
The PhysicsWallah Engine Deconstructing a Disruptive Business Model
The phenomenal success of PhysicsWallah is anchored in a business model that systematically dismantled the conventions of the Indian coaching industry. Its engine is built on a foundation of deep student empathy, operational efficiency, and a shrewdly executed hybrid strategy.
The company’s core philosophy rests on three pillars: a student-first approach that prioritizes understanding and solving learner pain points; a commitment to affordability and accessibility that makes quality education available to the masses; and a culture of transparency and credibility where students know exactly what they are paying for.
This philosophy is executed through a sophisticated Platform-Based Hybrid Model. PhysicsWallah operates as a tech-enabled aggregator, seamlessly blending a massive digital ecosystem with a rapidly growing physical footprint. Millions of students engage with its content online through the PW app and website, while its network of offline “Vidyapeeth” and “Pathshala” centers provides the invaluable element of in-person teaching and support. This hybrid strategy has been a key driver of its growth. By March 2025, the company had expanded to 198 centers across 109 cities, creating a powerful hyperlocal presence that builds trust and caters to students in Tier-II and Tier-III cities who value physical touchpoints. The success of this model is evident in the fact that in FY25, revenue was almost equally split between its online and offline channels.
This strategic approach has translated into staggering financial performance. In fiscal year 2025, PhysicsWallah’s revenue from operations surged to Rs. 2,886 crore, a significant jump from Rs. 1,940 crore in the previous year. Even more impressively, it managed this growth while drastically narrowing its net loss to Rs. 243 crore from a staggering Rs. 1,131 crore in FY24. This financial turnaround is powered by a diversified set of revenue streams, including online and offline coaching services, sales of books and merchandise, and other value-added services like hostel facilities and transport.
However, the company’s most potent competitive advantage remains its low-cost model. By pricing its courses at a fraction of what legacy coaching centers and edtech competitors charge, PhysicsWallah has tapped into a vast, underserved market of price-sensitive students. This high-volume, low-margin strategy has been the key to its explosive user growth. This operational leanness is further reflected in its marketing expenditure. A report commissioned for its IPO filing revealed that PhysicsWallah’s marketing spend in FY24 was approximately 10% of its revenue, a stark contrast to the industry average of nearly 18% for peers like Unacademy and UpGrad. This efficiency is a direct result of its organic, community-led growth, where a loyal student base built over years of free, high-quality YouTube content serves as its most powerful marketing engine.
This journey reveals a masterclass in founder-led marketing. Alakh Pandey’s authenticity and deep emotional connection with students allowed him to build a massive, loyal community before attempting to scale a commercial enterprise. This organic, community-first approach, which stands in stark contrast to the cash-burning, celebrity-endorsement-driven strategies of its competitors, has not only created a more sustainable growth path but has also become the brand’s most formidable competitive moat.
The Enduring Empire of King Khan Deconstructing a Bollywood Fortune
While Alakh Pandey’s wealth represents a new-age, tech-fueled phenomenon, Shah Rukh Khan’s fortune is a testament to the enduring power of brand, strategic diversification, and the art of transforming cultural capital into a resilient, multi-generational business empire. His ascent into the billionaire club is not the story of an actor’s earnings, but of a savvy entrepreneur who meticulously built a diversified portfolio far beyond the confines of the silver screen.
The ‘Badshah’ of Business More Than Just a Movie Star
Shah Rukh Khan’s evolution from a beloved actor to a formidable business magnate has been a two-decade-long masterstroke in strategic planning. His official entry into the Hurun billionaire club in 2025, with a net worth of Rs. 12,490 crore, was propelled by a remarkable 71% year-on-year increase in his wealth. This surge was not solely due to a successful year at the box office; it was the validation of a long-term strategy centered on diversification.
The architecture of his empire rests on several powerful pillars, each a significant enterprise in its own right. The cornerstone is Red Chillies Entertainment, a fully integrated entertainment conglomerate. This is complemented by his highly valuable stake in the Knight Riders Sports franchise, a sprawling global real estate portfolio, and a carefully curated web of strategic startup investments. Together, these ventures create a resilient and synergistic ecosystem where each component enhances the value of the others, insulating his fortune from the inherent volatility of the film industry.
Red Chillies Entertainment: The Content, VFX, and Commerce Engine
Founded in 2002 by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife, Gauri Khan, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) is far more than a typical film production house; it is a multinational entertainment conglomerate. The company was envisioned from the outset as a fully integrated studio with activities spanning creative development, production, marketing, distribution, and a world-class visual effects (VFX) division. This vertical integration gives RCE unparalleled control over the entire filmmaking value chain, from concept to global distribution.
The company’s financial health is robust. In fiscal year 2023, RCE reported a net profit of Rs. 85 crore, a significant turnaround from a loss in the previous year, largely fueled by the monumental success of films like Jawan. The movie, a tentpole RCE production, was a global phenomenon, grossing over Rs. 1,160 crore worldwide on a budget of Rs. 300 crore, showcasing the studio’s ability to produce content with massive commercial appeal.
A critical and highly profitable component of the RCE empire is its award-winning VFX arm, redchillies.vfx. Established in 2006, the studio was born from Khan’s personal interest in technology and his vision to bring state-of-the-art visual effects to Indian cinema. With a workforce of over 500 professionals and an estimated annual revenue of around $96.5 million, it has become one of India’s premier VFX houses, setting industry benchmarks and servicing both domestic and international projects. The studio’s work on ambitious projects like Ra.One, Zero, and particularly the breathtaking action sequences in Jawan, serves as a powerful showcase of its world-class capabilities and a significant, consistent revenue driver for the parent company.
The Knight Riders: Cashing in on Cricket’s Billion-Dollar League
One of Shah Rukh Khan’s most prescient business moves was his early entry into the world of sports entertainment with the acquisition of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. Red Chillies Entertainment holds a majority 55% stake in the team, with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta holding the remaining 45%. This venture has proven to be a cornerstone of his wealth.
The investment has paid off spectacularly, thanks to the explosive growth of the IPL itself. In 2025, the overall business value of the IPL was estimated at a staggering $18.5 billion, making it one of the most valuable sports leagues globally. Within this lucrative ecosystem, KKR has established itself as one of the premier franchises. According to a 2025 study by investment bank Houlihan Lokey, KKR’s brand value stands at $227 million, placing it firmly among the top teams in the league. The initial investment for the franchise in 2008 was $75.09 million, highlighting the immense return on investment Khan has realized over the past 17 years. This success illustrates a powerful flywheel effect: Khan’s celebrity and marketing prowess initially drove KKR’s brand value, and now, the franchise’s soaring financial valuation, as part of a multi-billion-dollar league, contributes significantly and independently back to his personal net worth.
The Global Mogul: Real Estate, Endorsements, and Angel Investments
Beyond the structured businesses of entertainment and sports, Shah Rukh Khan’s fortune is solidified by a vast and tangible asset base. His global real estate portfolio is legendary, headlined by his iconic sea-facing residence in Mumbai, ‘Mannat’, which is valued at approximately Rs. 200 crore and is considered a cultural landmark. This is supplemented by luxury properties in some of the world’s most exclusive locations, including London’s Park Lane, Beverly Hills, and Dubai, providing both a lavish lifestyle and a stable, appreciating asset class.
Further demonstrating a modern and forward-thinking investment philosophy, Khan has also diversified into the startup ecosystem. Through his family office, he has made a series of strategic angel investments in sectors poised for high growth. These lesser-known ventures span a wide range, from the edutainment sector with a 26% stake in KidZania India, to health tech (Numi), social media (Meerkat), and media tech (Mythik). These investments, while smaller in scale compared to his primary businesses, showcase an astute understanding of emerging market trends and a desire to build a portfolio that extends far beyond his personal brand. This long-term, calculated approach to wealth creation, marked by vertical integration within his core industry and horizontal diversification into high-growth external assets, is the defining feature of his enduring financial empire.
The Tipping Point IPO Dreams and Market Realities
The dramatic reordering of the Hurun Rich List was not triggered by a sudden windfall of cash but by a pivotal event in the corporate world: the impending Initial Public Offering (IPO) of PhysicsWallah. This section provides a deep dive into the mechanics of the IPO, how it revalued the founders’ fortunes, and the critical opportunities and risks revealed in the company’s official filings with the market regulator, all set against the turbulent backdrop of the Indian edtech industry.
The 223% Surge: How an IPO Revalues a Founder’s Fortune
The staggering 223% jump in the net worth of Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari is a textbook example of how the public market redefines founder wealth. This surge is not a reflection of their annual salaries or cash earnings but is almost entirely based on the pre-IPO valuation of their substantial equity stakes in PhysicsWallah. The Hurun list is reflecting the company’s most recent valuation of $2.8 billion, achieved during a September 2024 funding round, and the anticipated valuation that will be ascribed to it by the public markets.
This brings to light the crucial distinction between “paper wealth” and realized, liquid wealth. The founders each hold approximately 40.35% of the company. Their current billion-dollar net worth is intrinsically tied to the market’s perception of PhysicsWallah’s future value. The success of the upcoming IPO and the subsequent performance of the company’s stock on the exchanges will determine whether this paper fortune translates into tangible, liquid assets. The IPO process, therefore, is the mechanism that unlocks and validates this on-paper valuation.
The Road to Dalal Street A Forensic Look at the Rs. 3,820 Crore IPO
PhysicsWallah has filed its updated Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a substantial Rs. 3,820 crore IPO, signaling its readiness to transition from a private unicorn to a publicly listed company. The structure of the offering provides clear insights into the company’s capital strategy and the founders’ financial planning.
Fresh Issue of Shares: The company aims to raise Rs. 3,100 crore by issuing new equity shares. This capital will flow directly into the company’s coffers to fund its ambitious growth plans.
Offer for Sale (OFS): The remaining Rs. 720 crore is an OFS, where the promoters, Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, will sell a portion of their existing shares. Each founder plans to offload shares worth ₹360 crore. This allows them to achieve partial liquidity for their years of effort and de-risk their personal financial positions without diluting the company’s ownership further than the fresh issue.
The “Use of Proceeds” section of the DRHP is particularly revealing, as it offers a detailed roadmap of PhysicsWallah’s strategic priorities for the coming years. The allocation of the Rs. 3,100 crore fresh capital underscores a clear commitment to doubling down on its successful hybrid model and scaling its technological and marketing capabilities. Data sourced from the company’s updated DRHP filed with SEBI.
This capital allocation strategy reveals a clear bet on an integrated future. The combined spend of over Rs. 1,000 crore on new and existing offline centers signifies a firm belief that the future of Indian edtech is not purely online. This is a direct lesson learned from the post-pandemic market correction and the failures of online-only models, positioning PhysicsWallah’s physical footprint as a key competitive differentiator.
Risks and Red Flags in the DRHP
While the IPO prospectus paints a picture of ambitious growth, a deeper, more critical analysis of the ‘Risk Factors’ section a mandatory disclosure in any DRHP reveals the complex and often messy realities of managing a large-scale educational enterprise. These disclosures add crucial nuance to the otherwise glowing narrative.
One of the most unusual and significant risks highlighted pertains to student safety and operational challenges at its offline centers. The DRHP candidly details several security-related incidents, including harassment complaints and safety breaches. In one bizarre episode from 2023, a student allegedly threatened a faculty member with a slipper during a video call. Another incident involved a staff member pushing a student, which was captured on video and circulated online, leading to the employee’s termination. Crucially, while the company states it has implemented safeguards, the prospectus offers “no guarantee” that such incidents will not occur in the future, acknowledging a significant operational liability.
The filings also raise potential financial and governance concerns, particularly regarding its acquisition strategy. The company has extended unsecured loans worth Rs. 127 crore to its subsidiaries. Furthermore, the DRHP reveals operational issues with some of these acquired entities. For instance, the subsidiary iNeuron is described as having “no active business operations,” while another, PenPencil, reportedly maintained poor asset records and had a loan agreement with no specified repayment schedule. These details suggest potential challenges in integrating acquired companies and managing a complex corporate structure, issues that will face heightened scrutiny from public market investors. This juxtaposition of a brand built on a “student-first” emotional connection with the harsh, legally mandated disclosures of operational risks highlights a fundamental tension. As PhysicsWallah scales from a founder-led passion project to a massive public corporation, it must grapple with the impersonal and often challenging realities of managing a sprawling physical and corporate infrastructure.
The Edtech Crucible PhysicsWallah’s Rise Amidst Byju’s Fall
The timing of PhysicsWallah’s IPO is made all the more significant by the dramatic and cautionary tale of its once-dominant rival, Byju’s. The contrast between the two edtech unicorns could not be more stark. Byju’s, once the poster child of the Indian startup ecosystem with a peak valuation of $22 billion, is now mired in a deep crisis, facing insolvency proceedings, mass layoffs, legal battles with investors, and a catastrophic erosion of trust. Its founder, Byju Raveendran, has spoken of going from having “thousands of crores” to “nothing”.
The collapse of Byju’s provides a powerful context for understanding the perceived strengths of PhysicsWallah’s model. Byju’s “growth-at-all-costs” playbook was fueled by billions in venture capital, aggressive and often criticized sales tactics, a string of expensive international acquisitions, and a disregard for near-term profitability. In contrast, PhysicsWallah’s journey has been characterized by a more disciplined approach. Its focus on organic growth through community building, its sustainable low-cost structure, and its clear path toward profitability (as evidenced by its narrowing losses) present a more resilient and sustainable business model to potential public investors.
In many ways, the PhysicsWallah IPO is positioned as a potential bellwether for the Indian edtech sector’s second act. After the post-pandemic hype and subsequent collapse of overheated valuations, the market is now looking for sustainable, profitable growth. If successful, PhysicsWallah’s listing could restore investor confidence and provide a new, more mature blueprint for success in a sector that is crucial to India’s future.
A New Blueprint for a Billion Dollar Dream
The story of Alakh Pandey and Shah Rukh Khan is more than a fleeting headline on a wealth list; it is a defining narrative of modern India. It encapsulates a profound shift in the very architecture of wealth creation, revealing a new blueprint for ambition where intellectual capital can, in less than a decade, build an empire to rival one forged over a lifetime of global stardom. This conclusion synthesizes the divergent paths of the teacher and the king and explores what this changing of the guard signifies for the future.
A Paradigm Shift in Wealth Creation
The contrast between the two fortunes is a study in economic evolution. Alakh Pandey’s wealth is the quintessential story of “New Money” in the digital age. It was built with breathtaking speed, in under a decade, on a tech-first, platform-based model. Its strategy is high-volume and low-margin, designed for mass accessibility. His fortune is highly concentrated in a single, high-growth venture, and, until the IPO, remains largely pre-liquid, its value contingent on future market performance.
Shah Rukh Khan’s wealth, conversely, is the epitome of “Old Guard” resilience, meticulously built over three decades. It is a brand-first empire, leveraging his immense cultural capital to build premium, diversified assets. His portfolio is a fortress of resilience, spread across multiple, cash-flow-positive industries entertainment, sports, real estate making it less susceptible to shocks in any single sector. His wealth is mature, established, and largely liquid.
Pandey’s journey represents a new, democratized blueprint for success in 21st-century India. It is a powerful validation that an individual with deep domain expertise, unimpeachable authenticity, and a smartphone can build a loyal community from the ground up. By leveraging technology to scale that community, they can create an enterprise that not only generates immense wealth but also fundamentally challenges the established order of legacy industries. It proves that in the new economy, a direct connection to millions of users can be a more valuable asset than decades of traditional brand building.
The Future of Physics Wallah Life After the Bell
As PhysicsWallah prepares to ring the opening bell on Dalal Street, its greatest challenges lie ahead. The transition to a public company will test the very ethos that fueled its rise. The relentless pressure to deliver quarterly growth and maximize shareholder value could create a conflict with its core mission of providing hyper-affordable education. The market’s demand for predictability and margin expansion may challenge its disruptive pricing model.
The most critical question will be the evolution of its founder. Can Alakh Pandey, the passionate teacher who built his brand on an emotional connection with students, successfully navigate the unforgiving world of investor relations, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance? The shift in focus from teaching to business has already been noted by observers, with some suggesting he has lost some of the charm and energy that defined his early years as he grapples with the immense pressures of running a corporate giant. The post-IPO era will demand a delicate balancing act: preserving the authentic, student-centric culture that is PhysicsWallah’s soul while operating with the discipline and transparency of a publicly listed entity.
The Unshakeable Throne of Brand SRK
While Alakh Pandey has decisively won the current valuation race, it would be premature to declare the king dethroned. Shah Rukh Khan’s empire is a masterclass in longevity and resilience. His wealth is not dependent on the volatile sentiment of the stock market or the performance of a single company. It is a diversified, cash-generating machine with deep roots in multiple sectors of the economy.
Even if PhysicsWallah’s stock were to falter post-IPO, the core assets of the SRK empire—the consistent profits from Red Chillies Entertainment, the ever-appreciating value of the KKR franchise, and the tangible security of his global real estate portfolio—would remain largely intact. This is the enduring power of a diversified strategy built over decades. His throne, built not on a fleeting valuation but on a foundation of tangible assets and an unshakeable global brand, remains secure.
The Teacher, The King, and The New Indian Dream
Ultimately, the story of Alakh Pandey surpassing Shah Rukh Khan in net worth is a landmark cultural moment. It is a powerful signal that the paradigms of value and influence in India are undergoing a fundamental transformation. For decades, the nation’s aspirations were shaped by the larger-than-life figures on the silver screen. Today, a new icon has emerged from a classroom in Prayagraj.
This event signifies that in the India of the 21st century, the country’s most valuable asset may no longer be its cinematic superstars, but the educators who are empowering its next generation. It is a resounding validation of intellectual capital over inherited influence, of democratized access over exclusive privilege. It is a powerful testament to a new, more inclusive Indian dream one where the ability to teach, to connect, and to build a community online can create a fortune that outshines even the brightest star in the Bollywood firmament.