Shankh Mitra, a Kolkata-born engineer, has become the second-highest paid CEO globally, trailing only Elon Musk. He leads Welltower, a real estate investment trust, and earned a compensation package of $821 million in 2025. The majority of this remuneration is tied to stock awards, incentivizing long-term company performance. Mitra’s journey began with studies at Jadavpur University before ascending to a prominent leadership position. His success highlights a growing trend of substantial executive pay packages within the corporate world. This achievement is being viewed as an inspirational story for emerging leaders.