If you ask the names of the highest paid Indian-origin CEOs in America today, you would be wrong if you tell Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella. Because, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora is in the list of highest earning CEOs in America. The surprising thing is that only one Indian-origin CEO has made it to the list of America’s top-10 highest paid CEOs.
According to a report by C-Suite Comp, Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, is ranked 10th in the list of highest paid CEOs in the USA. Data analytics firm C-Suite Comp has released its latest list of the highest-paid CEOs in America.
Two lists based on two criteria
Two lists of highest paid CEOs were released based on two criteria. Like total compensation granted in 2023 and compensation actually given. Google’s Indian-American CEO Sundar Pichai did not make it to any list, nor did Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. On the other hand, 56-year-old Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto Networks was successful in making it to both the lists.
Nikesh Arora ranked fourth in the list of the highest-earning CEOs in America in terms of total compensation in 2023 with earnings of $151.4 million. Arora also made it to the list of the highest paid CEOs in the US in terms of actual package offered in 2023 with an annual package of $266.4 million.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who will earn a staggering $1.4 billion in 2023, tops this list. The second CEO to cross the $1 billion mark is Alexander Karp of Palantir Technologies.
Who is Nikesh Arora?
Before taking over as CEO of Palo Alto Networks in 2018, Nikesh Arora had worked at Google and SoftBank Group. Arora was born to an Indian Air Force officer and completed his schooling from Air Force Public School, Delhi.
Engineering from BHU
Arora received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now IIT-BHU). He also holds an MBA from Northeastern University and an MSc from Boston College.
Arora spent 10 years in top level roles at Google. In 2014 he resigned to join SoftBank Group as chairman and COO. He has also worked at T-Mobile and Bharti Airtel, Europe.
Input: Hindustan Times
