From the Editor

Last Updated Mar 10, 2026, 1:01am EDT

  • Neerja Sethi cofounded IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel with her husband Bharat Desai in 1980 and took it public in 1997.
  • French IT firm Atos SE bought Syntel for $3.4 billion in 2018. Sethi got an estimated $510 million for her stake.
  • Sethi served as an executive at Syntel from its founding until its sale in 2018.
  • Her husband Bharat Desai is also a billionaire; they met in the U.S. while working for IT firm Tata Consultancy Services.
  • The couple started Syntel in their apartment in Troy, Michigan with an initial investment of just $2,000.
Wealth History
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Personal Stats
Age
71
Source of Wealth
IT consulting, Self Made
Self-Made Score
8
Residence
Fisher Island, Florida
Citizenship
United States
Marital Status
Married
Children
2
Education
Master of Science, Oakland University; Bachelor of Arts/Science, Delhi University; Master of Business Administration, Delhi University
Did you know
Sethi holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a masters degree in computer science.
She and her husband joined the Giving Pledge, a commitment to give at least half their fortune to charitable causes, in May 2025.
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