An engineering graduate from Jadavpur University Kolkata, has secured a spot on the list of the world’s highest-paid corporate leaders, yet his journey to the top did not begin at an IIT or in Silicon Valley.
According to The Wall Street Journal’s annual ranking of the highest-paid CEOs, Shankh Mitra, an executive of Indian origin and CEO of the US-based company Welltower, received a compensation package of approximately $821 million for 2025. This placed him second on the list, trailing only Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
However, this figure needs to be understood in the proper context. It was not an annual compensation of $821 million. According to a “Wall Street Journal” report and subsequent regulatory filings by Welltower, most of Mitra’s 2025 compensation consisted of stock awards and long-term incentives. Sankh Mitra’s base salary for the year 2025 was $1.3 million (approximately 12.34 crore Indian rupees), while his total compensation, including stock awards, was approximately $821.1 million.
From Jadavpur University to Columbia Business School
Mitra’s academic journey began in Kolkata. According to Columbia Business School (New York City), he holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Jadavpur University and an MBA in ‘Applied Value Investing’ from Columbia Business School, where he was also named to the Dean’s List.
His educational background is notable because his undergraduate degree was not from an IIT or NIT. Instead, his engineering studies at Jadavpur University laid the foundation for a career that eventually led him into global finance and real estate investment.
From PwC to Welltower
Mitra began his professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Subsequently, he moved into the field of investment management, working as an analyst at ‘Fidelity Investments’ and ‘Citadel Investment Group’.
Later, he joined ‘Millennium Management’, where he served as a portfolio manager specialising in real estate securities. His experience in investment analysis, portfolio management, and risk assessment led him to ‘Welltower’ in 2016. According to Welltower’s official profile, Mitra joined the company as Senior Vice President of Finance and Investments.
He rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming Senior Vice President of Investments in 2018 and Chief Investment Officer later that same year. In October 2020, just four years after joining the company, he became Welltower’s Chief Executive Officer.
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