Meet Ghaziabad-Born Nikesh Arora, Who Earns More Than Sundar Pichai And Is 2nd Highest Paid CEO In The US

Nikesh Arora, an Indian-origin CEO in the US, has surpassed Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in earnings, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Among the top 10 highest-earning CEOs in the US, Arora, leading Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity firm, holds the second position after Broadcom’s CEO, Hock Tan. Arora’s compensation stands at USD 151.43 million, significantly higher than Zuckerberg’s USD 24.40 million and Pichai’s  USD 8.8 million.

Here’s all about Nikesh Arora

Nikesh Arora, born on February 9, 1968, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has carved a remarkable path of success throughout his career. Nikesh’s upbringing in a military family, with his father serving in the Indian Air Force, instilled discipline and determination in him.

He pursued Electrical Engineering at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi after completing his schooling at The Air Force School. Following his graduation, Nikesh ventured into the corporate world, starting at Wipro before pursuing an MBA at Northeastern University in Boston.

Nikesh’s journey accelerated in 1992 when he joined Fidelity Investments, showcasing his prowess in finance and technology management. His tenure culminated in becoming the Vice President of Fidelity Technologies.

In 2000, Nikesh founded T-Motion, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, and later assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer at T-Mobile International Division.

Joining Google in 2004 marked a significant milestone in Nikesh’s career. Over nearly a decade, he held pivotal positions, including Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer. Notably, Arora became the highest paid executive at Google in 2012 when the company hired him with a USD 51 million package. By the end of his time with the Silicon Valley-based company, Nikesh Arora had collected stock awards worth at least USD 200 million.

Nikesh’s transition to SoftBank in 2014 as Vice Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Internet and Media Inc. was met with high expectations. Despite receiving accolades and a lucrative compensation package, he surprised many by resigning in 2016.

During his time at Softbank Group, Arora also set a new record in Japan with a mammoth first-year compensation package of USD 135 million. People at the company saw him as the successor to legendary investor Masayoshi Son, according to a Bloomberg report earlier this year.

Nikesh’s journey led him to Palo Alto Networks in 2018, where he currently serves as CEO and Chairman. Recognition: In 2015, Nikesh was honored with the Global Indian award at the ET Corporate Excellence Awards, acknowledging his outstanding contributions to the corporate world. Nikesh Arora’s career trajectory exemplifies resilience, strategic acumen, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.