SINGAPORE: A Singaporean woman, Janney Hujic, has gone viral for all the wrong reasons after a LinkedIn post about a “chance encounter” with former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta turned out to be a case of mistaken identity — and possibly more.
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post published on 19 May, Hujic claimed she had run into Gupta at a café in Bali, writing: “I glanced across the room and thought, that looks an awful lot like Piyush. Curious, I walked over — and sure enough, it was him.”
She described the encounter as memorable and inspiring, and posted a photo of herself with a man in a floral shirt, appearing relaxed and friendly.
“No entourage. No airs. Just quiet conviction,” she wrote, praising what she believed was Gupta’s humility.
However, the post quickly unraveled when Gupta himself responded in the comments: “Sorry to disillusion you. That isn’t me!”
His reply garnered over 2,000 likes — more than the original post — and sparked a social media frenzy.
The man in the photo was later identified as Kumar H Subramaniam, a 58-year-old Singaporean living and working in Bali.
In an interview with Mothership, Kumar said he told Hujic and her companion right away that he was not Gupta.
He also revealed he had been mistaken for Gupta before, but this was the first time it had gone viral internationally.
“I don’t know why she still went ahead and posted the photo and tagged Gupta after I told her I wasn’t him,” said Kumar.
Hujic had written in her post that the two spoke briefly about her travel startup.
She recalled how “his eyes lit up” when she described her women’s expedition project and fundraising goals. She also admired his “humility and presence.”
Social media reactions were mixed. Some users mocked the mistaken identity, calling it a blatant ploy for attention: “They look nothing alike!”
Others were more sympathetic: “The similarity is impeccable.” The situation was widely described as “peak LinkedIn”, referring to the platform’s reputation for overly polished and performative storytelling.
Post Allegedly Made Without Consent, Manager Demanded S$5,000
According to 8World News on 24 May, Hujic later claimed the LinkedIn post was not written or approved by her, but was instead uploaded by her freelance social media manager — who then demanded S$5,000 to take it down.
Screenshots shared with 8World showed the manager purportedly stating: “Post has over 6k engagement. Pay me 5k SGD and I take down.”
Hujic alleged the same manager, who is reportedly based in the Philippines, also changed the login details for both her LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.
She told 8World that a message from the manager read: “When I get paid I give you back access.”
The manager had originally been hired in March on a freelance basis, recommended by a friend, and was being paid S$1 per like on posts.
Hujic was on a cave expedition in Vietnam with no internet access when the viral post was published.
By the time she returned online on 24 May, she said she was locked out of her social media platforms.
Although her partner has since transferred an undisclosed sum to the manager, Hujic stated that she still does not have access to her accounts.
Who is Janney Hujic?
Hujic gained attention after she posted a photo taken in Bali with a man she claimed was Piyush Gupta.
She tagged the former banking executive in a post that described a brief inspirational exchange, relating it to her upcoming all-women expedition to Mongolia in support of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF).
As the controversy escalated, Hujic did not immediately respond to media inquiries about the post’s origin.
However, an update posted to her LinkedIn account on 22 May — seemingly written by her team — stated that she was currently away on an expedition in Vietnam without internet access and would only return on 25 May.
“Be assured that she tagged Piyush with the hope that he would respond to her post, fully thinking that she had spoken with him,” the update read.
“Yes, GPT might have been used to improve the wording, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter for her. But at no point was there any intention to deceive anyone. Please hold your thoughts until she has put her side of the story.”
The statement added that Hujic would personally address the situation upon her return on Sunday.
Questions Over Fundraising Efforts
The controversy has also drawn scrutiny toward Hujic’s claimed fundraising efforts for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF) – a community fund that aims to provide people with disabilities the opportunities to actively contribute to society.
In a statement issued 23 May, the organisation clarified that neither Hujic nor her company, Elysian Expeditions, had been authorized to raise funds on its behalf.
“We reached out to Ms Hujic on 21 May 2025 to seek clarifications about the fundraising campaign and to date, we have not received a response from her or Elysian Expeditions.” said the GCTEF.
“We would like to inform the public that Ms Hujic and Elysian Expeditions are not authorised fundraising partners of SG Enable, and we have not endorsed their fundraising campaign.
The GCTEF logo and fundraising messages on their website are used without our knowledge and permission.”
Hujic told 8World News she had submitted an application for fundraising approval but had not seen the email from GCTEF until recently due to being offline.
She said she has since responded and intends to clarify the nature of the expedition and its connection to her company.
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