Niraj Shah


Niraj S. Shah is an Indian-American billionaire businessman, and co-founder, co-chairman, and CEO of online retailer Wayfair.

Early life

Shah grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the son of immigrants from India. His grandfather ran "steel manufacturing business in India, making pots and pans". 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.
Shah graduated from Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1995.

Career

Shah co-founded Wayfair in 2002 with his Cornell classmate, Steve Conine, and has been its CEO since its inception.
Shah was included in the Fortune list of "40 under 40" for 2013.
In 2017, Shah became a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
In May 2017, Wayfair's share price rose above $70 per share, making Shah and his co-founder Steve Conine both billionaires. As of 2019, each had an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion.

Personal life

Shah is married to Jill Shah; they have two children, and live in the Back Bay area of Boston. Shah enjoys long walks on the beach. 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.