Leading in business & cuisine: Meet restaurateur Ayesha Thapar, wife of highest paid Indian-origin CEO Nikesh Arora
Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, an Indian-American executive, emerged as the highest-paid CEO in the US, surpassing figures like Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella. He secured a spot among the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the country, according to a report by C-Suite Comp released recently. With a net worth over Rs 16,700 crore, Nikesh is one of the richest Indian CEOs in the world.
Interestingly, his better half Ayesha Thapar is a high achiever as well. A Delhi diva, Thapar went on to become a popular restaurateur in the US. She is also the scion of the prominent Indian business conglomerate, the Thapar Group.
Ayesha Thapar¡¯s background
Ayesha Thapar, who graduated with an economics degree from Wellesley College, began her education at Delhi's Modern School. She currently serves as the Managing Director of Indian City Properties Limited, a prominent player in the real estate sector. Ayesha Thapar hails from a notable lineage of businessmen, tracing back to her grandfather, the esteemed business tycoon Karam Chand Thapar
The Thapar family's legacy in business spans across diverse sectors including coal-trading, real estate (Indian City Properties), textiles (JCT Limited), and education, alongside once owning the Oriental Bank of Commerce. Currently, Ayesha's father Vikram Thapar and brother Varun Thapar lead the KCT Group.?
Ayesha Thapar herself is a successful businesswoman with her own entrepreneurial achievements. She expressed her entrepreneurial aspirations from a young age, and beyond her initial career as a model, she has ventured into various businesses. These include launching a jewellery line and multiple fashion labels such as Sansaar. Additionally, she once owned a telecom company in Miami.
In California, Ayesha Thapar manages the well-known restaurants Ettan and Copra in collaboration with celebrity chef Srijith Gopinathan. Her 2014 wedding to Nikesh Arora in Italy was attended by Hollywood celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, adding a touch of glamour to the occasion.
Everything to know about Nikesh Arora, the highest-paid Indian-origin CEO
Nikesh Arora embarked on his path towards becoming a billionaire after joining Palo Alto Networks in 2018, following a distinguished career at Google and SoftBank Group. Born to an Indian Air Force Officer, Arora earned a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now IIT-BHU). He furthered his education with an MBA from Northeastern University and an MSc from Boston College. Arora is married to Ayesha Thapar, the granddaughter of business tycoon Karam Chand Thapar.
