Nikesh Arora: Meet the Indian-origin CEO earning more than Google’s Sundar Pichai, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella

Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, is the only Indian-American to make it to the list of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the United States. According to a report from data analytics firm C-Suite Comp, Arora is ranked 10th on the list of highest-earning CEOs.

The report featured two lists based on different metrics: “total compensation granted” in 2023 and “compensation actually paid.” Sundar Pichai of Google and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, despite their prominent positions and successful years, did not appear on either list.

Nikesh Arora’s Earnings in 2023
Total Compensation Granted: Arora ranked 4th with USD 151.4 million.
Compensation Actually Paid: Arora ranked 10th with USD 266.4 million.

Highest Paid CEOs by ‘Compensation Actually Paid’ in 2023

Who is Nikesh Arora?
Nikesh Arora became the CEO of Palo Alto Networks in 2018. His career includes significant roles at Google and SoftBank Group.
Early Life: Born to an Indian Air Force officer, he completed his schooling at Air Force Public School in Delhi.
Education: Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now IIT-BHU), an MBA from Northeastern University, and an MSc from Boston College.
Career: Spent 10 years at Google in senior leadership roles. In 2014, he joined SoftBank Group as its President and Chief Operating Officer before moving to Palo Alto Networks.