PIO CEO second-highest-paid exec after Musk

Shankh Mitra, the Indian-origin CEO of US-based healthcare real estate company Welltower, has become the world's second-highest-paid chief executive after receiving a compensation package worth $821 million (about `7,744 crore) in 2025, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Only Elon Musk earned more, with compensation valued at $158 billion.

Born in Kolkata, Mitra studied Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering at Jadavpur University before earning an MBA in Applied Value Investing from Columbia Business School. He held senior investment roles at Citadel LLC and Millennium Management before joining Welltower in 2016. He became chief investment officer in 2018 and CEO in the year 2020.

Almost all of Mitra's compensation came through stock awards. About $789 million was linked to shares granted in October, which were worth more than $1 billion by year-end as Welltower's stock surged. However, the payout is tied to long-term conditions. Around half the shares will vest in 2031 only if Mitra remains with the company, while the rest depend on Welltower increasing its market value by 45% and outperforming key stock indices over five years.

The report also said Indian-origin executive Nikesh Arora ranked eighth with a $100 million package from Palo Alto Networks.

—Agencies