Indian-Origin Women Among Forbes' Richest Self-Made Women in America

By: WE Staff | Monday, 10 July 2023

Four accomplished Indian-origin women have secured positions on Forbes' prestigious list of America's 100 richest self-made women, collectively amassing a staggering net worth of USD 4.06 billion. Jayshree Ullal, President and CEO of Arista Networks, Indra Nooyi, former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, Neerja Sethi, co-founder of IT consulting firm Syntel, and Neha Narkhede, co-founder and CEO of Confluent, have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields, solidifying their positions among the wealthiest self-made women in the United States.

Jayshree Ullal has claimed the 15th spot on the list, boasting a net worth of USD 2.4 billion. As the head of Arista Networks, a renowned computer networking firm, Ullal has played a pivotal role in its success since 2008. Her impressive stock ownership of approximately 2.4 percent has contributed significantly to her wealth. Arista Networks achieved remarkable revenue of nearly USD 4.4 billion in 2022. Ullal's expertise extends beyond Arista, as she also serves on the board of directors of Snowflake, a prominent cloud computing company.

Ranking 25th on the list, Neerja Sethi has accrued a net worth of USD 990 million. She is recognized as the co-founder of Syntel, an IT consulting and outsourcing firm established in 1980. Syntel's exceptional growth led to its acquisition by French IT firm Atos SE for a substantial USD 3.4 billion in October 2018. Sethi realized an estimated USD 510 million from the sale of her stake in the company. Her academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts/Science and a Master of Business Administration from Delhi University, as well as a Master of Science from Oakland University.

Neha Narkhede, securing the 50th position, has amassed a net worth of USD 520 million. Her contribution as a LinkedIn software engineer in developing the open-source messaging system Apache Kafka, which effectively handled the platform's massive influx of data, was instrumental in her success. In 2014, Narkhede, along with two LinkedIn colleagues, co-founded Confluent, an organization that facilitates efficient data processing on Apache Kafka for various enterprises. Confluent went public in June 2021, valuing the company at USD 9.1 billion, with Narkhede owning around 6 percent of the business. March 2023 saw Narkhede announce her new venture, Oscilar, a fraud detection firm where she serves as co-founder and CEO.

Indra Nooyi, a renowned figure in the corporate world, secures the 77th position on the list with a net worth of USD 350 million. After dedicating 24 years to PepsiCo, including serving as chair and CEO, Nooyi retired in 2019. Throughout her tenure, she successfully thwarted attempts to break up the company, substantially increased sales, and introduced healthier product options and environmentally friendly practices. Her fortune predominantly stems from stock grants earned during her time at PepsiCo. Nooyi's remarkable journey began in India, where she grew up, eventually earning an MBA from Yale and becoming one of the few female CEOs in corporate America in 2006. In 2019, she joined the board of Amazon.

Forbes' annual list of America's richest self-made women showcases the exceptional achievements and accumulated wealth of these remarkable individuals. The cumulative net worth of the women on the list stands at a record USD 124 billion, reflecting an impressive 12 percent increase from the previous year. The rankings are determined by evaluating individual assets, including stock holdings and valuations of private companies, with data gathered in May 2023. These accomplished Indian-origin women continue to inspire and break barriers, making significant strides in the business world.