FORBES’ 2026 list of America’s most successful living immigrants highlights the strong presence of Indian-origin leaders across technology, venture capital, academia, and media.
These individuals span early-stage startup founders, global CEOs, and Nobel Prize winners, reflecting diverse paths to success in the US economy and innovation landscape.
Vinod Khosla
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Vinod Khosla, Founder, Khosla Ventures, speaks onstage during day two of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 at Moscone Center on October 28, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch)Getty Images
Vinod Khosla is ranked 14th on the list and is associated with Khosla Ventures and Sun Microsystems. Khosla moved to the US in 1976 to pursue graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University.
Inspired by a magazine article on Intel while growing up in India, he decided to build a career in technology. In 1982, he co-founded Sun Microsystems, which became a major force in computing. He later launched Khosla Ventures and backed companies in technology, healthcare, and clean energy.
Forbes estimates his net worth at about £6.8 billion. His career spans entrepreneurship and venture investing.
Naval Ravikant
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: AngelList Co-Founder and CEO Naval Ravikant speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 at Pier 48 on September 18, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)Getty Images
Naval Ravikant is ranked 27th on the list and is associated with AngelList and startup investing. Born in New Delhi, Naval Ravikant moved to the United States with his family in 1985. Raised in New York, he studied computer science and economics before entering the startup world.
After founding several companies, Ravikant co-founded AngelList, a platform that changed how startups connect with investors. He also became an early investor in companies including Twitter, Uber, and Notion. His estimated net worth is around £75.5 million. Ravikant is also known for his writing and podcasts on wealth creation and decision-making.
Hemant Taneja
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Managing Director of General Catalyst Hemant Taneja speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 at Pier 48 on September 14, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)Getty Images
Hemant Taneja is ranked 31th on the list and is associated with General Catalyst. Hemant Taneja moved from India to the US in the 1990s to pursue higher education. He earned degrees from MIT and became one of Silicon Valley’s influential venture capitalists.
As CEO of General Catalyst, Taneja has helped fund companies across healthcare, fintech, and artificial intelligence. His interest in entrepreneurship began during his engineering studies, when he saw technology’s ability to solve large-scale problems.
Forbes places him among America’s most successful immigrant investors. His wealth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars through venture investments and fund management.
Sanjay Mehrotra
CEO of Micron Technology Sanjay Mehrotra, listens to US President Joe Biden speak about manufacturing, at the SRC Arena and Events Center of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York on October 27, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)Getty Images
Sanjay Mehrotra is ranked 44th on the list and is associated with Micron Technology and SanDisk. Sanjay Mehrotra moved to the US in 1978 to study electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mehrotra co-founded SanDisk in 1988 with a vision of making flash memory mainstream. The company became a leader in data storage and was later acquired by Western Digital. Mehrotra went on to become CEO of Micron Technology, one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies. His estimated net worth exceeds £755.9m, built over decades in the memory-chip industry.
Sundar Pichai
Google CEO Sundar Pichai looks on during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images)Getty Images
Sundar Pichai is ranked 55th on the list and is associated with Google and Alphabet. He moved from India to the US in 1993 to study materials science and engineering at Stanford University. Growing up in Chennai, he developed an early interest in technology and was known for remembering telephone numbers with ease.
Pichai joined Google in 2004 and led the development of Chrome, which became the world’s leading web browser. His rise through the company culminated in becoming Google CEO in 2015 and Alphabet CEO later. His net worth is estimated at over £755.9m.
Abhijit Banerjee
Indian born Abhijit Banerjee, laureate of Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019, speaks during a press conference with the Nobel physics, chemistry and economics laureates at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, on December 7, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)Getty Images
Abhijit Banerjee is ranked 59th on the list and is associated with economic research and J-PAL. Abhijit Banerjee moved to the US in the 1980s for doctoral studies at Harvard University. His work focused on poverty, development economics, and evidence-based policymaking. He co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which uses randomized trials to test economic interventions around the world. In 2019, he received the Nobel Prize in Economics.
Unlike many others on the list, his influence comes from research rather than business. His estimated net worth is in the millions, tied largely to academic work and publications.
Padma Lakshmi
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 12: Padma Lakshmi attends Gold House's Lunar New Year Gold Celebration at Chinese Tuxedo on February 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Gold House)Getty Images
Padma Lakshmi is ranked 64th on the list and is associated with television, publishing, and food media. Padma Lakshmi moved from India to the US at the age of four with her mother. She began her career as a model after being discovered while studying abroad. Over time, she transitioned into television, becoming a widely recognized host, producer, and author. Her work on food and culture helped build a media career that spans books, television, and advocacy. Her estimated net worth is around £30.2m. Lakshmi remains one of the most visible Indian-born figures in American entertainment.
Sanjit Biswas
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Sanjit Biswas attends Day 2 of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2013 at San Francisco Design Center on September 10, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch) Getty Images
Sanjit Biswas is ranked 76th on the list and is associated with Samsara. Sanjit Biswas moved from India to the US as a child and later studied electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. He first co-founded Meraki, a cloud-managed networking company acquired by Cisco for £ 907m.
He then co-founded Samsara, which develops connected-device and industrial software systems used by businesses worldwide. The idea emerged from his interest in bringing internet connectivity to physical infrastructure. Samsara’s public listing significantly increased his wealth, which is estimated at several billion dollars. He represents a newer generation of immigrant technology founders.
Neerja Sethi
Neerja Sethi (Photo credits: iMDB)
Neerja Sethi is ranked 91th on the list and is associated with Syntel. After selling their IT consulting firm Syntel, Sethi and her husband pledged to give away £982.7m of their £2.1bn combined fortune in 2025.
Jay Chaudhry
Jay Chaudhry(Photo credits: www.cnbc.com)
Jay Chaudhry is ranked 93th on the list and is associated with Zscaler. Before founding cloud security firm ZScaler, Chaudhry founded four other companies–all of which were acquired.
Romesh T Wadhwani
Romesh T Wadhwani(Photo credits: www.csis.org)
Romesh T Wadhwani is ranked 98th on the list and is associated with Symphony Technology Group and entrepreneurial philanthropy. Wadhwani sold his company, Aspect Development, for £7bn in 2000. He now serves as chairman of enterprise AI company Symphony AI, which he founded in 2018.
