Satya Nadella (born 19 August 1967) is an Indian-born American business executive. He has been chief executive officer of Microsoft since 2014 and its chairman since 2021. Born in Hyderabad, he transformed Microsoft’s culture and strategy around cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Under his leadership the company became one of the world’s most valuable, and it formed a landmark partnership with OpenAI.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Satya Narayana Nadella |
| Born | 19 August 1967, Hyderabad, India |
| Age | 59 |
| Position | CEO of Microsoft (since 2014); Chairman (since 2021) |
| Education | BE, Manipal Institute of Technology; MS, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; MBA, University of Chicago |
| Spouse | Anupama Nadella |
| Book | Hit Refresh (2017) |
| Honour | Padma Bhushan (2022) |
Early Life and Education
Nadella was born in Hyderabad. His father was an IAS officer and his mother was a Sanskrit lecturer. He was a keen cricketer at school. He studied electrical engineering at the Manipal Institute of Technology and moved to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Career
After working at Sun Microsystems, Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992. Over two decades he held senior roles in its business software, search and online services divisions. He then led the Server and Tools business, which built the cloud platform that became Microsoft Azure.
In February 2014 Nadella succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO, only the third in Microsoft’s history. He shifted the company’s focus to cloud services and subscription software, embraced open-source and rival platforms, and encouraged a “growth mindset” culture. Microsoft acquired LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard during his tenure. Its multi-billion-dollar investment in OpenAI made it a leader in generative AI with products such as Copilot. He became chairman of the board in 2021.
Personal Life
Nadella married Anupama, the daughter of his father’s IAS batchmate, in 1992. The couple had three children. Their son Zain, who was born with cerebral palsy, died in 2022, and Nadella has spoken about how raising him shaped his approach to empathy and accessibility. His book Hit Refresh (2017) describes Microsoft’s transformation and his personal journey.
Key Milestones
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Satya Nadella born?
Satya Nadella was born on 19 August 1967 in Hyderabad, India.
