Latest news with #NikeshArora
India.com
5 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Meet man, left India with only Rs 1700, earns salary of Rs 13023055018, higher than Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, he is…
Meet man, left India with only Rs 1700, earns salary of Rs 13023055018, higher than Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, he is… Apart from Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, there is another CEOs who is in the list of highest paid CEOs in the world. By Anirudha Yerunkar Edited by Anirudha Yerunkar Advertisement When we hear about the Indian CEOs names or achievements we often get Google's CEO Sundar Pichai or Microsoft's Satya Nadella's name. But there is one more Indian CEOs who is in the top list of earning salaries in the whole world. Nikesh Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, is one of the highest-paid CEOs in the world. His salary was more than Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai. In 2023, he was at second place in the list of highest-paid CEOs. Advertisement === According to The Wall Street Journal, Nikesh Arora earned $151.43 million in 2023. This salary was higher than Mark Zuckerberg's $24.40 million and Pichai's $8.8 million. He was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and grew up in a simple household. His father was in the Indian Air Force so his family had to relocate many times. He took education from the Air Force School and did engineering from IIT-BHU. Advertisement === In 1990, he decided to go to the United States for higher education, despite financial problems at home. He had only $100 (around Rs 1,700) in his pocket. But this didn't stop him. He applied for universities that waived application fees. Northeastern University in Boston gave him a scholarship, where he also got the opportunity to teach computer science. After graduation, Arora faced tough competition in the job market, he recieved rejection letters from over 400 companies. He kept those rejection letters as a source of motivation. In 1992, he secured his first job at Fidelity Investments. He started in an entry-level role and became Vice President of Fidelity Technologies. During this time, he also earned a Master's degree in Finance and a CFA certification. In 2004, Nikesh Arora joined Google, just months after its IPO. Over the next decade, he played a huge role in increasing Google's revenue from $2 billion to $60 billion. But he left Google in 2014 in search of a new challenge. Joining SoftBank Arora joined SoftBank as President and COO, where he learnt about sound investments. He decided against investing in WeWork and in 2016, he resigned from SoftBank when CEO Masayoshi Son postponed his retirement. In 2018, Nikesh Arora became the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity company valued at $18 billion at the time. Under his leadership, the company's valuation went over $100 billion. He focused on cloud security and artificial intelligence. He also acquired or partnered with companies that didn't have internal growth capabilities.
Economic Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Started with only Rs 1700, IITian and tech titan Nikesh Arora rose to outearn Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai
In 2023, Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks and an IIT-BHU graduate, earned more than tech giants Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai. His rise to the top followed over 400 job rejections, financial struggles, and a career spanning Fidelity Investments, Google, and SoftBank. Since joining Palo Alto in 2018, he has scaled the company from a $18 billion valuation to over $100 billion by focusing on cloud security, AI, and innovation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Humble Beginnings in India Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Career Struggles and Breakthrough At Google and SoftBank Leading Palo Alto Networks On AI and India's Opportunity When tech giants like Meta and Google made headlines for massive layoffs and changing leadership trends, one Indian-origin executive quietly outshone some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Nikesh Arora , the CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, earned more in 2023 than both Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai—an achievement that might surprise many unfamiliar with his journey. But behind that headline-making number lies a story of perseverance, rejection, and a steady climb from modest beginnings to one of the highest echelons in the global tech The Wall Street Journal released its 2023 rankings of the highest-paid CEOs, among the top earners was Nikesh Arora, the Indian-origin CEO of Palo Alto Networks, who secured the second spot with a total compensation of $151.43 million. His earnings significantly surpassed those of major tech leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, who earned $24.40 million, and Google's Sundar Pichai, who received $8.8 a detailed and candid conversation with Humans of Bombay, Arora opened up about the struggles and turning points that shaped his journey—from humble beginnings in Ghaziabad to leading one of the world's top cybersecurity journey to the top of the tech industry began in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he was raised in a disciplined household shaped by his father's career in the Indian Air Force. His upbringing, marked by frequent relocations, instilled a deep sense of adaptability and integrity in him from an early age. After finishing school at The Air Force School, he pursued engineering at financial limitations, Arora set his sights on the United States for further studies. With only $100 (around Rs 1700 in 1990) in hand, he applied to universities that waived application fees. Bostons' Northeastern University granted him a scholarship in 1990 and even offered him the chance to teach computer science—something he quickly had to learn to accept the graduating, Arora faced a daunting phase—rejected over 400 times by various companies. He kept every rejection letter, using them as motivation. His breakthrough came in 1992 when he landed a role at Fidelity Investments. Starting from entry-level positions, he worked his way up to become Vice President at Fidelity later earned both an M.S. in Finance and a CFA certification, which significantly broadened his career options. Teaching a CFA course eventually connected him to an opportunity at joined Google in 2004, a few months after its IPO. Over the next decade, he played a key role in growing its revenues from $2 billion to over $60 billion. Describing it as 'like being in a rocket ship,' Arora left in 2014 in search of a new challenge came at SoftBank, where he served as President and COO. His time there brought significant learnings, including the importance of knowing when to walk away from underperforming investments—something he applied while choosing not to back WeWork. Arora eventually exited SoftBank in 2016 when CEO Masayoshi Son postponed his planned 2018, after a sabbatical spent attempting (and failing) to improve at golf, Arora took over as CEO of Palo Alto Networks. At the time, the company was valued at $18 billion. Under his leadership, it has grown to over $100 billion, driven by a strategic push toward cloud security and artificial credits this success to early adoption of emerging technologies and a willingness to acquire or partner when internal development wasn't feasible. His focus on innovation has kept Palo Alto competitive in an increasingly complex cybersecurity has spoken about how scarcity in his youth shaped his resourcefulness and approach to leadership. He sees AI as a transformative force and believes India's strength lies in adapting global technologies to local contexts. According to him, real value in AI will come from localised data and domain-specific knowledge—areas where Indian companies have a natural story—marked by rejection, resilience, and reinvention—continues to resonate, especially in India. His rise shows that success doesn't always follow a linear path. As he told Humans of Bombay, 'Nobody likes rejection… But part of growing up in India is believing in destiny. It helps you rationalise failure. Everything happens for a reason.'
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Started with only Rs 1700, IITian and tech titan Nikesh Arora rose to outearn Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai
When tech giants like Meta and Google made headlines for massive layoffs and changing leadership trends, one Indian-origin executive quietly outshone some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Nikesh Arora , the CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, earned more in 2023 than both Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai—an achievement that might surprise many unfamiliar with his journey. But behind that headline-making number lies a story of perseverance, rejection, and a steady climb from modest beginnings to one of the highest echelons in the global tech industry. When The Wall Street Journal released its 2023 rankings of the highest-paid CEOs, among the top earners was Nikesh Arora, the Indian-origin CEO of Palo Alto Networks, who secured the second spot with a total compensation of $151.43 million. His earnings significantly surpassed those of major tech leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, who earned $24.40 million, and Google's Sundar Pichai, who received $8.8 million. In a detailed and candid conversation with Humans of Bombay, Arora opened up about the struggles and turning points that shaped his journey—from humble beginnings in Ghaziabad to leading one of the world's top cybersecurity firms. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Humble Beginnings in India Arora's journey to the top of the tech industry began in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where he was raised in a disciplined household shaped by his father's career in the Indian Air Force. His upbringing, marked by frequent relocations, instilled a deep sense of adaptability and integrity in him from an early age. After finishing school at The Air Force School, he pursued engineering at IIT-BHU. Despite financial limitations, Arora set his sights on the United States for further studies. With only $100 (around Rs 1700 in 1990) in hand, he applied to universities that waived application fees. Bostons' Northeastern University granted him a scholarship in 1990 and even offered him the chance to teach computer science—something he quickly had to learn to accept the offer. Career Struggles and Breakthrough After graduating, Arora faced a daunting phase—rejected over 400 times by various companies. He kept every rejection letter, using them as motivation. His breakthrough came in 1992 when he landed a role at Fidelity Investments. Starting from entry-level positions, he worked his way up to become Vice President at Fidelity Technologies. He later earned both an M.S. in Finance and a CFA certification, which significantly broadened his career options. Teaching a CFA course eventually connected him to an opportunity at Google. At Google and SoftBank Arora joined Google in 2004, a few months after its IPO. Over the next decade, he played a key role in growing its revenues from $2 billion to over $60 billion. Describing it as 'like being in a rocket ship,' Arora left in 2014 in search of a new challenge. That challenge came at SoftBank, where he served as President and COO. His time there brought significant learnings, including the importance of knowing when to walk away from underperforming investments—something he applied while choosing not to back WeWork. Arora eventually exited SoftBank in 2016 when CEO Masayoshi Son postponed his planned retirement. Leading Palo Alto Networks In 2018, after a sabbatical spent attempting (and failing) to improve at golf, Arora took over as CEO of Palo Alto Networks. At the time, the company was valued at $18 billion. Under his leadership, it has grown to over $100 billion, driven by a strategic push toward cloud security and artificial intelligence. Arora credits this success to early adoption of emerging technologies and a willingness to acquire or partner when internal development wasn't feasible. His focus on innovation has kept Palo Alto competitive in an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. On AI and India's Opportunity Arora has spoken about how scarcity in his youth shaped his resourcefulness and approach to leadership. He sees AI as a transformative force and believes India's strength lies in adapting global technologies to local contexts. According to him, real value in AI will come from localised data and domain-specific knowledge—areas where Indian companies have a natural advantage. Arora's story—marked by rejection, resilience, and reinvention—continues to resonate, especially in India. His rise shows that success doesn't always follow a linear path. As he told Humans of Bombay, 'Nobody likes rejection… But part of growing up in India is believing in destiny. It helps you rationalise failure. Everything happens for a reason.'
NDTV
7 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
400 Job Rejections To $130 Billion Firm: Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora's Journey
Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, might be helming a $130 billion company at the moment but the road to glory wasn't easy. Mr Arora said that after graduation, he would write letters to multiple companies in search of jobs; all he received in return were rejection letters, in a conversation with Human of Bombay. Opening up about the early struggles in his career when he faced as many as 400 rejections, Mr Arora said that he didn't lose hope and eventually got a job at Fidelity Investments. And while he knows what success feels like, he still keeps those rejection letters in his closet, reminding himself he has to keep moving forward. Born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Mr Arora completed his graduation in engineering from IIT-BHU, and then, earned degrees from Boston College and Northeastern University in the US. He said he barely had $100 when he started looking for higher education. So, he decided to aim for institutions that waived application fees. Mr Arora said that Northeastern University offered him a scholarship but offered him to opt for computer science, so he had no other option but to accept it. In 1992, he joined Fidelity Investments, where he held various positions before eventually rising through the ranks to become the Vice President. Even though people told him he wasn't fit for finance, he didn't give up; instead, he chose to earn a master's degree and get a CFA certification, which helped him land a job at Google in 2004. Mr Arora spent a decade at Google and called his journey "amazing." Asked what made him leave Google, he said, "It was time to move on and I wanted to do something different." He moved to SoftBank, where he was chosen by CEO Masayoshi Son as the company's President and COO. However, he had to leave the company after 2.5 years because Mr Masayoshi was expected to retire at age 60 as part of a 10-year life plan. He joined Palo Alto in 2018 after taking a sabbatical, spending his time playing golf. "I got worse at it. I realised I needed to sink my teeth into something," he laughed. At the time when Mr Arora joined, Palo Alto was valued at around $18 billion. As of today, it's approximately $118 billion.
India.com
7 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Meet Nikesh Arora, who faced 400 rejections, now CEO of Rs 11,21,29,22,500 company, he works for...
(File) Success stories: Indian American business executive and the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh Arora says, 'Scarcity encourages you to be resourceful. It allows you to do a lot more with a lot less'. He made this observation in an interview with Karishma Mehta of Humans of Bombay. He also talked about his journey from formative years to becoming the CEO of Palo Alto Networks. Nikesh Arora was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to an Indian Air Force officer in a Punjabi family. He completed his schooling at The Air Force School and went on to graduate from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. Later, he earned an M.S. degree in finance from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University. The tech spearhead had humble beginnings as he grew up in a disciplined household. 'Growing up, we kind of moved around every few years. That brings a degree of adaptability to your life,' he said adding that his early years were marked by constant change and values passed down from his father: fairness and integrity. He pursued engineering from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and instead of India, he aimed for US business schools. His choices were institutions that did not charge application fees. Reflecting on the days when he was borrowing from his father's pension fund, he said, 'I was scraping around, teaching nights, doing all kinds of fun stuff just to survive.' He said that the phase after graduation was one of the toughest phases of his life. 'I sent 400-plus applications and got rejected 400-plus times. I saved all the rejection letters. They're my motivation,' he said. He got a breakthrough in 1992 when he began his career at Fidelity Investments where he held different positions. Eventually, he became the vice president of Fidelity Technologies. He earned a master's degree and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, eventually teaching a CFA course that subsequently led to his next destination as he joined Google in 2004. 'Amazing, like being in a rocket ship' is how he described his beginning at Google. Over the next 10 years, he played a key part in Google's revenue growth from $2 billion to over $60 billion. After 10 years at Google, he felt the urge to move on. 'I wanted to do something different,' he says. After a break, Arora joined Palo Alto Networks. At the time of his joining, the company was valued at $18 billion. Today, it's over $100 billion. He attributes the growth to timing and clarity of vision. 'Cybersecurity is a growing market. The more we rely on technology, the more our attack surface expands. If we can't build it, we'll partner or buy,' he says. Arora took the company toward cloud and Artificial Intelligence early on, emphasising constant innovation as he revealed his experience with ChatGPT, which left a lasting impression on him.
