Success Story: Honesty, dedication, and hard work—if anyone’s success rests on these three words, it’s Nikesh Arora from Ghaziabad. It’s often said that sincere efforts never go in vain, and Nikesh’s life journey is living proof of this. Today, he is among the highest-paid executives in America. His income surpasses even giants like Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Nikesh Arora Receives Record Salary in 2023
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Nikesh Arora will receive an annual package of $151.4 million, or approximately Rs 1300 crore, in 2023. He is currently the CEO of Alto Networks, a leading US cybersecurity company. This salary puts him at the top of the list of the world’s most expensive CEOs. During the same period, Mark Zuckerberg received a package of $24.4 million and Sundar Pichai received a package of $8.8 million, which is significantly less than Nikesh’s earnings.
From Ghaziabad to America: A Challenging Start
Nikesh Arora was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father served in the Indian Air Force, which led to a life of discipline and relocation. This environment helped shape Nikesh’s personality. He studied at the Air Force School in Delhi and later received an engineering degree from IIT-BHU. The family’s financial situation was not very good, yet he decided to go abroad for higher education.
Just 1700 Rupees and a Big Dream
When he arrived in America in 1990, he had only 100 dollars, or approximately 1700 rupees. Despite limited resources, he applied to universities that waived application fees. Northeastern University in Boston not only admitted him but also offered him a scholarship. Here, he had the opportunity to teach computer science, which forced him to learn quickly.
First Job After 400 Rejections
At that time, Indian professionals were not widely accepted in the United States, and this affected Nikesh. After completing his degree, he applied to hundreds of companies, but 400 rejected him. This could have been a discouraging experience for any young person, but Nikesh remained undeterred. With perseverance and confidence, he continued to move forward, and eventually, in 1992, Fidelity Investments hired him as a trainee. Within a few years, he proved his skills there and achieved the position of Vice President of Fidelity Technologies.
Journey to the Heights of Google and SoftBank
While working at Fidelity, he also completed professional degrees such as an MS and CFA. These achievements earned him a job offer from Google in 2004. After spending nearly a decade at Google, he joined SoftBank in 2014, where he served as Chairman and COO. There, he gained a deep understanding of the nuances of investing and further strengthened his global presence.
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Growing Alto Networks from $18 billion to $100 billion
In 2018, Nikesh Arora was appointed CEO of Alto Networks. At that time, the company’s valuation was $18 billion. Under his leadership, the company grew rapidly, reaching a valuation of $100 billion within a few years. Nikesh’s strategic thinking, leadership, and risk-taking ability have made him one of the world’s top corporate leaders.
