Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora Success Story: Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, is leading a $130 billion (Rs 10,79,000 crore) company today, according to media reports. Palo Alto Networks is a US-based multinational cybersecurity company. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Arora opened up about his early struggles and how he transitioned from facing 400 job rejections to becoming the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar firm.
His extraordinary journey, marked by relentless hard work and perseverance, has even seen him surpass the earnings of renowned tech leaders like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. According to the Wall Street Journal published its 2023, Arora received a compensation package worth $151.4 million (approximately Rs 1,256.62 crore) in 2023 and became the second-highest-paid CEO in the US, just behind Hock Tan of Broadcom.
)
Financial constraints prevented Arora from applying to many renowned US universities. He instead applied to those colleges who charge no application fees, eventually securing a scholarship from Northeastern University in Boston, which opened doors for him in the near future.
The early ’90s were difficult for Indians abroad. Arora applied to over 400 companies and faced constant rejections. Despite the setbacks, he stayed persistent, believing in himself even when others didn’t see his potential.
In 1992, Arora finally got a chance at Fidelity Investments as a trainee. Over time, his skills and leadership saw him rise to Vice President at Fidelity Technology while completing his MS and CFA qualifications.
Arora joined Google in 2004, shortly after its IPO. He played a key role in expanding the company’s global business, helping grow its revenue from $2 billion to $60 billion during his impressive decade-long tenure.
In 2014, Arora became President and COO at SoftBank, handpicked by CEO Masayoshi Son. However, he exited the company after 2.5 years when Son decided to delay retirement, altering the company’s long-term leadership plans.
Arora joined Palo Alto Networks in 2018 as CEO. By prioritizing AI and cloud security, he transformed the firm from an $18 billion company to one valued over $100 billion, establishing dominance in cybersecurity.
Arora currently serves as the CEO of the cybersecurity firm Alto Networks. His salary eclipsed that of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, who earned $24.4 million, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who received $8.8 million during the same period.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Nikesh Arora has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion (Rs 12,450 crore), highlighting his remarkable financial success after decades of hard work and strategic leadership. (Image Credit: File Photo)
Newsletter
