Jay Chaudhry, the CEO and founder of Zscaler, has secured the eighth position on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest foreign-born US citizens. With a net worth of $17.9 billion, he is one of the richest Indian-origin entrepreneurs in America.
Early Life in India
Chaudhry was born in a remote Himalayan village in India, where he grew up without access to electricity or running water. Despite these challenges, he pursued higher education and eventually earned a B.Tech from IT-BHU (now IIT BHU Varanasi).
Move to the US and Educational Achievements
In 1980, he moved to the United States for graduate studies. He earned master’s degrees in electronic and computer engineering, and in industrial engineering and management, from the University of Cincinnati. He also studied at Harvard Business School.
Building Zscaler and Other Tech Ventures
Jay Chaudhry founded Zscaler, a cybersecurity company, in 2008. The firm went public in March 2018 and is now listed on Nasdaq. Chaudhry and his family own around 40% of the company. Before Zscaler, he co-founded multiple tech startups. His first venture, SecureIT, was launched in 1996 using the life savings of Chaudhry and his wife, Jyoti.
Recognition on Forbes List
Forbes placed Jay Chaudhry among the top 10 immigrant billionaires in the US. Other names on the list include Elon Musk (South Africa), Sergey Brin (Russia), Jensen Huang (Taiwan), and Thomas Peterffy (Hungary).
Current Life
After years in the Bay Area, Chaudhry now resides in Nevada. He continues to lead Zscaler and inspire the tech industry with his entrepreneurial journey from humble beginnings to global success.
