An Indian-origin man has found himself in the middle of an internet firestorm after he bluntly admitted to a British CEO that he refuses to work with women.
Louisa Klouda, CEO of Fenchurch Legal, called out Nirmal Patel in a scathing LinkedIn post, sharing a screenshot of their exchange, which left users furious over his outdated mindset.
In the conversation, Louisa had simply asked Patel if he was available for a virtual meeting. His response was dismissive and laced with condescension. “Thanks. As interesting and as successful as your business is, I tend not to work with women, be well sweetheart,” Patel wrote.
Louisa wasted no time in responding. “Well, I woke up today and learned something groundbreaking: Some people still think women shouldn’t be in business. Wild,” she stated in her viral post.
“It’s 2025, we’ve got AI writing novels, people vacationing in space, and yet, here we are.” She then took aim at Patel’s attitude, adding, “As a woman in business, I could let outdated thinking get me down, but instead, I’ll do what women have been doing for centuries—keep succeeding, keep breaking barriers, and keep proving that competence has NO gender.”
Her post struck a nerve online, drawing sharp criticism toward Patel. One user fumed, “Sweetheart. Sweetheart?! deep inhale.” Another mocked Patel’s archaic stance, writing, “Ah yes, another shining example of a middleman proving why he should remain in the middle of nowhere.”
One commenter didn’t hold back: “Here we have a walking LinkedIn profile from 1952 who seems to have missed the last… (checks calendar)… 70+ years of human progress.”
Another user called for accountability: “It’s good to name and shame such people. Women are dealing with such scumbags in every phase of life.”
Louisa’s post has reignited the conversation around sexism in corporate spaces, proving that even in 2025, some attitudes refuse to evolve. But as one commenter put it: “The best revenge is a success, and nothing drives these types crazier than watching you achieve it without their ‘help.’”