Meet Shankh Mitra, the Indian-origin executive who is the world’s second-highest paid CEO after Elon Musk
From studying engineering in Kolkata to leading a major US real estate company, Shankh Mitra has become one of the highest-paid business leaders in the world.According to the latest Wall Street Journal report, “Highly Paid CEO Breaks $200 Million Payday,” Welltower’s Indian-origin CEO has been named the second-highest paid CEO in the world.Mitra’s total compensation in 2025 will reach $821 million, second only to Tesla boss Elon Muskwhose total compensation package is $158 billion.The ranking shows a sharp rebound in executive compensation after slowing in recent years. The Wall Street Journal reports that by 2025, more CEOs will earn at least $100 million a year than in any year since 2021, with nearly a dozen CEOs earning more than the $200 million mark.Mitra’s journey to the top began in India. He graduated from Jadavpur University with a bachelor’s degree in instrumentation and electronic engineering, and then went to Columbia Business School in the United States to pursue an MBA in applied value investing.He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he worked for five years. He later entered the field of investment management, joining Fidelity Investments in 2009 as an analyst. He previously worked at Citadel and Millennium Management, specializing in real estate securities and portfolio management.In 2016, Mitra joined Welltower, an S&P 500 real estate investment trust focused on senior housing and healthcare properties. He became chief investment officer in 2018 and was named CEO two years later. Lead Independent Director Jeffrey H Donahue praised his leadership at the time of his appointment, saying: “Shanghe’s investment and operational acumen… have positioned the company at a strong position over the past five years.“Responding to his promotion, Mitra said: “I am extremely honored and humbled to serve as CEO of Welltower and lead this exceptional team as we embark on the next chapter of our journey. I am grateful for Tom’s guidance and cooperation, and I am deeply grateful to the Board and my colleagues for their confidence and trust in me. “According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly all of Mitra’s compensation comes in the form of stock awards. About 99% of his compensation package is tied to stock awards, including a $789 million award in October. By year’s end, the shares tied to the award were worth more than $1 billion.Payouts are tied to long-term performance. If Mitra remains with the company, he is expected to receive approximately half of the shares in 2031. The remaining shares will depend on Welltower’s market capitalization increasing 45% over five years and outperforming multiple stock market indexes. The report also noted that three other Welltower executives received compensation of more than $100 million each, making the company just the second company in a decade to have four executives receive nine-figure compensation in a single year.Other highest-paid CEOs include George Kurtz ($248 million), Hock Tan ($205 million), David Zaslav ($165 million) and Stephen Schwarzman ($126 million).Another Indian-origin executive in the top 10 is Nikesh Arora, who ranks eighth with a salary of $100 million.
