Niraj S. Shah (Hindi: नीरज शाह) (born 1973/1974) is an American businessman, and co-founder, co-chairman, and CEO of online retailer Wayfair.

Niraj Shah
Born1973 or 1974 (age 49–50)[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationCornell University
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founder, co-chairman & CEO, Wayfair
Board member ofWayfair
SpouseJill Shah
Children2

Early life

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Shah grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the son of immigrants from India.[2] His grandfather ran a "steel manufacturing business in India, making pots and pans".[2] His father worked for General Electric as a mechanical engineer, and after his retirement, joined Wayfair early on, providing financial advice, and still works for the company.[2]

Shah graduated from Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1995.[1][3]

Career

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Shah co-founded Wayfair in 2002 with his Cornell classmate, Steve Conine,[2] and has been its CEO since its inception.[1][4]

Shah was included in the Fortune list of "40 under 40" for 2013.[5]

Shah was a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 2017 to 2019.[2][6]

In May 2017, Wayfair's share price rose above $70 per share, making Shah and his co-founder Steve Conine both billionaires. As of April 2022, his estimated net worth was $1.6 billion.[7]

Philanthropy

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Shah co-founded the Shah Family Foundation with his wife Jill in 2017, which supports education and healthcare programs.[8][9]

Personal life

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Shah is married to Jill Shah; they have two children, and live in the Back Bay area of Boston.[2] In 2013, Jill Shah sold her alternative medicine directory Jill's List, which employed 7 people, to California-based MINDBODY, and now runs their Boston office.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Executive Profile: Niraj S. Shah". Bloomberg LP. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fernandes, Dierdre (March 10, 2017). "Five things you should know about Niraj Shah". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "Wayfair founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine at Entrepreneurship Summit NYC 2013". Cornell University. December 11, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah: We've been a big beneficiary of internet disruption". CNBC. August 8, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  5. ^ "Niraj Shah". Fortune. May 9, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  6. ^ "Former Board of Directors Members - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston". Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Forbes profile: Niraj Shah". Forbes. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Kim, Larry (June 25, 2019). "Get to Know Wayfair's Founder: 10 Facts About Niraj Shah". Inc.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Warnock, Caroline (July 14, 2020). "Niraj Shah: Wayfair CEO in Spotlight After Conspiracy Theory Goes Viral". Heavy.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Alternative medicine directory Jill's List acquired by California-based Mindbody". Boston.com. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  11. ^ "Boston Magazine Names Four Indian-Americas Among 150 Most Influential Bostonians". INDIA New England News. April 20, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
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