by If you were to ask the name of the highest paid CEO of Indian origin in America today, you would be wrong to say Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella. Because, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora is on the list of highest paid CEOs in America. Surprisingly, only one Indian-origin CEO has made it to the list of top-10 highest paid CEOs in America.
According to a report by C-Suite Comp, Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, ranks 10th on 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 paid in 2023 and compensation actually paid. Google’s Indian-American CEO Sundar Pichai did not make the list, nor did Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. On the other hand, 56-year-old Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto Networks managed to make it to both the lists.
Nikesh Arora ranks fourth in the list of highest paid CEOs in America in terms of total compensation in 2023 with earnings of $151.4 million. Arora also topped the list of highest paid CEOs in the US in terms of actual package offered with an annual package of $266.4 million in 2023.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who will earn $1.4 billion in 2023, tops the 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 worked at Google and SoftBank Group. Arora was born to an Indian Air Force officer and completed her schooling from the Air Force Public School in Delhi.
Engineering from BHU
Arora earned 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.
