A UK-based entrepreneur who once built a successful 7-figure business now claims to have “no money”. Sofia Panwar opened up about the “shame” and “embarrassment” of going from financial stability to relying on government aid in an Instagram video.
Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Sofia Panwar founded Unndr, a lingerie subscription service, in 2021. Last year, she and her co-founder featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 List Europe for Retail and E-commerce. According to her LinkedIn profile, Panwar was associated with the brand till July 2026.
In her Instagram video last week, she claimed that liquidating the company left her with little money. Walking to a mandatory Universal Credit appointment, the London-based entrepreneur addressed the “shame, embarrassment” and isolation of watching her financial standing collapse.
“I have no money”
“I’m on my way to my Universal Credit meeting. Yes, this is after Forbes. This is after building a 7-figure business,” she said in the video. “This is after all of that, because my business left me with nothing… I have no money.”
“A few years ago, I was building a 7-figure business. Today, I’m walking to my Universal Credit appointment after liquidating that same business,” the London-based entrepreneur added in the caption.
Universal Credit refers to the UK government’s social security welfare benefit. It is a monthly payment provided to help people who are on a low income, out of work or unable to work cover basic living and housing costs.
Panwar acknowledged that while she retains her personal platform and past accomplishments, the sudden absence of financial security had taken an emotional toll.
“The hardest part”
She acknowledged that having “no money” was not even the hardest part of her new life, it was the “shame” of people knowing.
“I think the hardest part isn’t even the financial reality of it. It’s the shame that can come with feeling like you’ve gone backwards,” she said. “The embarrassment of people knowing. The voice in your head telling you that you should have it all figured out by now.”
Panwar said that she debated long and hard before posting the truth about her financial situation on social media. For months, she told herself that she would post her ‘comeback’ story online.
However, she decided to get candid in the video in an attempt to destigmatise setbacks. She noted how millions of people across the world are quietly navigating financial difficulties.
“There are so many people quietly going through their own version of rock bottom right now. Losing businesses, jobs, relationships, money, confidence, or simply the life they thought they would have. I can say confidently all of those things are me right now,” she said.
“So maybe there is more power in showing you the middle.”
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Sofia Panwar ended her post on a hopeful note, saying she would not give up on herself or her dreams.
“This chapter is uncomfortable, humbling and sometimes heartbreaking. But it’s still only a chapter,” she said.
