Who Is Ayesha Thapar? Wiki, Age, Husband, Net Worth, Parents, Education & BIO
Ayesha Thapar (born 7 December 1976, Age: 47 years old) is a prominent Indian businesswoman, entrepreneur, and socialite, who is best known as the wife of Nikesh Arora, the former president and chief operating officer of SoftBank Group and the current chief executive officer and chairman of Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader.
Ayesha is also the heiress of the Thapar Group, one of India’s largest and oldest business conglomerates, founded by her great-grandfather Karam Chand Thapar in 1920.
Early Life and Family Background
Ayesha Thapar was born on December 7, 1976, in New Delhi, India, to Vikram Thapar and Jyoti Thapar. She has two siblings, a brother named Varun Thapar and a sister named Nitasha Thapar.
She belongs to a prominent and wealthy Punjabi business family, with roots in Lahore, Pakistan. Her great-grandfather, Karam Chand Thapar, was a legendary industrialist and philanthropist, who established the Thapar Group, which has interests in diverse sectors such as paper, chemicals, engineering, energy, real estate, and education.
Her grandfather, Lalit Mohan Thapar, was also a renowned businessman and the chairman of the Thapar Group until he died in 2007. Her father, Vikram Thapar, is the current chairman of the Thapar Group and the president of the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, one of India’s leading engineering colleges.
Ayesha Thapar Wiki/Bio
| Name | Ayesha Thapar |
| Date of Birth | December 7, 1976 |
| Place of Birth | New Delhi, India |
| Age | 47 years old (as of 2023) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Punjabi |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches |
| Weight | 55 kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Education | Modern School, Vasant Vihar; Wellesley College; Stanford Graduate School of Business |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, Entrepreneur, Socialite |
| Net Worth | $500 million (estimated) |
| Spouse | Nikesh Arora (m. 2014) Engin Yesil (m. 2003–2007) |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Parents | Vikram Thapar, Jyoti Thapar |
| Siblings | Varun Thapar, Nitasha Thapar |
| Great-grandparent | Karam Chand Thapar |
| Social Media Links | Instagram: ayesha_kj_thapar Facebook: Thapar.Ayesha LinkedIn: ayeshathapar |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Net Worth
Ayesha is estimated to have a net worth of 3 million dollars as of 2023. She has accumulated her net worth with her versatility in each field she has worked in.
Her primary source of earnings is from her career as an Indian businesswoman and an entrepreneur. As she progresses in her career, her net worth is projected to rise.
Educational Details
Ayesha Thapar completed her schooling at Modern School, Vasant Vihar, in New Delhi, where she excelled in academics and extracurricular activities. She then moved to the United States to pursue her higher education at Wellesley College, a prestigious women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science in 1999. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which she obtained in 2003.
Physical Stats
Ayesha stands at an average height of 5 feet 6 inches approximately 1.68 m. Her weight, hair color, eye color, bra size, waist, and bust size are not publicly known.
Career and Achievements
Ayesha started her career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley in New York, where she worked for two years. She then returned to India and joined her family business, the Thapar Group, as a director. She was involved in various aspects of the group’s operations, such as strategy, finance, marketing, and human resources. She also spearheaded the group’s expansion into new sectors, such as hospitality, fashion, and e-commerce.
She launched the group’s first luxury hotel, The Claridges Nabha Residence, in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, in 2005. She also founded the group’s first fashion label, Indian by Manish Arora, in collaboration with the acclaimed Indian designer Manish Arora, in 2007. She also launched the group’s first e-commerce venture, Indianroots.com, an online platform for Indian ethnic wear and handicrafts, in 2013.
Entrepreneurship
Thapar is also an independent entrepreneur and investor, who has founded and backed several startups in India and abroad. She is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Powerhouse Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups in India, Southeast Asia, and the United States, focusing on sectors such as fintech, health tech, tech, and consumer internet. She is also the co-founder and chief creative officer of Alchemist Creations, a design studio and lifestyle brand that creates innovative and sustainable products from recycled materials.
She is also the co-founder and director of Indianroots. in, an online marketplace for Indian art and culture, which is a spin-off of Indianroots.com. She is also an angel investor and advisor to several startups, such as Zilingo, an online fashion marketplace; Fynd, an online fashion discovery platform; and Classplus, an online platform for tutors and coaching institutes.
Philanthropy
Ayesha is also a prominent socialite and philanthropist, who is actively involved in various causes and initiatives related to education, women empowerment, environment, and arts and culture. She is the founder and chairperson of the Ayesha Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports underprivileged children and women in India.
She is also the founder and curator of the India Art Fair, an annual event that showcases contemporary and modern art from India and South Asia. She is also a patron and board member of several organizations, such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the India Habitat Centre, the India Foundation for the Arts, and the Harvard University South Asia Institute.
First Husband & Relationship
Ayesha Thapar has been married twice in her life. Her first marriage was with Engin Yesil, a Turkish-American businessman and philanthropist, who is the founder and chairman of Lime Ventures, a private equity firm.
They got married in 2003 in a lavish ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, attended by several celebrities and dignitaries. However, they divorced in 2007, citing irreconcilable differences.
Marriage with Nikesh Arora
Her second marriage was with Nikesh Arora, one of the most influential and successful executives in the global technology industry. They got married in 2014 in a grand ceremony in Borgo Egnazia, a luxury resort in Puglia, Italy, attended by several celebrities and dignitaries, such as Masayoshi Son, the founder and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group; Eric Schmidt, the former executive chairman of Google; and Tony Blair, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom.
They have been happily married ever since and divide their time between Palo Alto, California, and Tokyo, Japan. They also have a daughter, who was born in 2016.
Ayesha is very active on social media, where she shares glimpses of her personal and professional life with her fans and followers. She has over 100,000 followers on Facebook, over 50,000 followers on Instagram, and over 10,000 followers on LinkedIn. She often posts pictures and videos of her family, friends, travels, hobbies, and interests. She is also an avid reader, writer, painter, and yoga enthusiast.
Controversies
She also faced some criticism and backlash from some sections of society for her divorce from Engin Yesil, her first husband, in 2007. Some people accused her of being a gold-digger and a social climber, who married him for his money and fame, and then dumped him for Nikesh Arora, another rich and powerful man.
However, she did not let these rumors and allegations affect her and moved on with her life with dignity and grace. She also maintained a cordial relationship with Engin Yesil, and even invited him to her wedding with Nikesh Arora in 2014.
Thapar is a prominent Indian businesswoman, entrepreneur, and socialite, who is best known as the wife of Nikesh Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks. She is the heiress of the Thapar Group, one of India’s largest and oldest business conglomerates, founded by her great-grandfather Karam Chand Thapar in 1920.
She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She started her career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and then joined her family business, the Thapar Group, as a director. She also launched and invested in several ventures in sectors such as hospitality, fashion, e-commerce, and venture capital.
