Indian-origin business leader Shankh Mitra has secured the position of the world’s second highest-paid chief executive after receiving a compensation package worth USD 821 million in 2025, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Only Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk ranked ahead of him, with a compensation package valued at nearly USD 158 billion.
The report highlights a strong rebound in executive pay, with a growing number of CEOs receiving compensation packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Nearly a dozen executives earned more than USD 200 million in 2025, making it one of the strongest years for top corporate payouts since 2021.
Journey from Kolkata to corporate leadership
Born and raised in Kolkata, Mitra completed his Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering from Jadavpur University before moving to the United States for higher education.
He later earned an MBA in Applied Value Investing from Columbia Business School, a qualification that laid the foundation for his career in investment management and real estate finance.
Before joining Welltower, Mitra held senior investment positions at Citadel LLC and Millennium Management, where he specialised in real estate investments and portfolio management.
Joined Welltower in 2016, became CEO four years later
Mitra became part of Welltower in 2016, a US-based real estate investment trust focused on healthcare infrastructure and senior housing.
After serving as the company’s Chief Investment Officer from 2018, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2020.
At the time of his appointment, Welltower’s Lead Independent Director Jeffrey H. Donahue credited Mitra’s investment expertise and operational leadership for strengthening the company’s long-term growth prospects.
Responding to his appointment, Mitra had said he was honoured by the opportunity and expressed gratitude to the company’s board and employees for their confidence in his leadership.
Stock awards formed bulk of compensation
Most of Mitra’s 2025 compensation did not come through salary or cash incentives. Instead, nearly USD 789 million of the package consisted of stock awards granted in October.
According to the report, the value of those shares had crossed the USD 1 billion mark by the end of the year, driven by Welltower’s strong stock market performance.
However, the compensation remains performance-linked. Around half of the awarded shares will vest only in 2031, provided Mitra continues to lead the company. The remaining shares are tied to ambitious business goals, including a 45% increase in the company’s market value and sustained outperformance against major stock market indices over a five-year period.
The report also noted that three other senior executives at Welltower received compensation packages worth more than USD 100 million in 2025. This makes the company one of the few in the US to award four executives nine-figure compensation packages in a single year.
Nikesh Arora also features in top 10
Apart from Elon Musk and Shankh Mitra, the list of the world’s highest-paid executives includes George Kurtz, who received USD 248 million, Hock Tan with USD 205 million, David Zaslav at USD 165 million and Stephen Schwarzman with USD 126 million.
Another Indian-origin executive, Nikesh Arora, also secured a place among the top earners. The Palo Alto Networks CEO ranked eighth on the list with a compensation package worth USD 100 million.
First published on: Jun 29, 2026 07:32 AM IST
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