Indian-American tech entrepreneur Jay Chaudhry has secured a spot among the top 10 richest immigrant billionaires in the United States, according to Forbes’ 2025 rankings. The 65-year-old CEO of Zscaler, a leading cybersecurity firm, is the only Indian to feature in the prestigious top 10 list, ranking eighth overall.
From a Himalayan Village to Silicon Valley
Born in 1960 in a small Himalayan village in India, Jay Chaudhry’s early life was marked by hardships — his hometown had no electricity or running water during his school years. Despite these challenges, Chaudhry went on to study engineering at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), now known as IIT (BHU) Varanasi.
In 1980, he moved to the United States to pursue higher education. It was his first time boarding a plane. He earned Master of Science degrees in electronic and computer engineering and industrial engineering and management from the University of Cincinnati, and also studied at Harvard Business School.
Jay Chaudhry: Building a Cybersecurity Empire
Chaudhry founded Zscaler in 2008. A decade later, the company went public on Nasdaq and has since grown into one of the world’s top cloud-based cybersecurity firms. Jay and his family currently own around 40% of the company.
Before Zscaler, Chaudhry and his wife Jyoti launched several other tech ventures, including SecureIT, CoreHarbor, CipherTrust, and AirDefense — all of which were later acquired.
Net Worth and Global Recognition
As of 2025, Jay Chaudhry’s net worth stands at $17.9 billion (approximately ₹1.49 lakh crore). He resides in Reno, Nevada, and continues to be a major voice in the cybersecurity space.
Forbes 2025: Richest Immigrant Billionaires in the US
The Forbes list is topped by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, followed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and entrepreneur Thomas Peterffy. Jay Chaudhry ranks eighth, ahead of WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum and Kingston Technology CEO John Tu.