When discussions turn to wealthy Indian-origin leaders in global technology, figures like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai often dominate the conversation. However, recent rankings show that neither currently holds the top spot among Indian professional managers. According to the latest Hurun wealth rankings, that distinction now belongs to Jayshree Ullal, the CEO and chairperson of Arista Networks.
Ullal’s estimated personal wealth stands at over $6 billion, placing her significantly ahead of other high-profile Indian-American executives. By comparison, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s net worth is estimated at around $1.2 billion, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s wealth is close to $700 million. Other notable Indian-origin leaders on the list include executives from companies such as Palo Alto Networks, Adobe, and Berkshire Hathaway, but none come close to Ullal’s financial standing.
Jayshree Ullal has served as president and CEO of Arista Networks since 2008. The US-based company is a major player in cloud networking and data center infrastructure, supplying technology to some of the world’s largest enterprises and cloud providers. Arista’s steady growth over the years has been a key driver of Ullal’s wealth. In 2024, the company reported revenue of approximately $7 billion, reflecting year-on-year growth of nearly 20%. Ullal owns roughly 3% of the company’s shares, which form the core of her personal fortune.
Though she is now based in San Francisco, Ullal’s journey began far from Silicon Valley. She spent her formative years in New Delhi before moving to the United States for higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from San Francisco State University, followed by a master’s degree in engineering management from Santa Clara University.
Her early career was rooted in semiconductors, with roles at Fairchild Semiconductor and Advanced Micro Devices, where she worked on high-speed memory technologies. She later transitioned into networking, joining companies that focused on early Ethernet switching innovations. A pivotal moment came when Cisco Systems acquired Crescendo Communications, bringing Ullal into Cisco’s leadership pipeline.
During more than 15 years at Cisco, Ullal played a central role in building the company’s switching and data center businesses, which generated billions of dollars in revenue. In 2008, she took the helm at Arista Networks, guiding it from a private startup to a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange.
Today, her rise stands as a clear example of how leadership in cloud-driven technology firms can generate extraordinary wealth, placing her at the very top among Indian-origin professional executives worldwide.
