Who is the CEO of Uber, and what adversity did he overcome to get there?
Source: Getty Images/CNBC.
While becoming a successful CEO of not one but multiple companies is an impressive feat for anyone, it is especially awe-inspiring in the case of those who have crossed geographic and class divides to achieve their positions. Nobody fits this description as well as the current CEO of Uber. Yet many are unfamiliar with his story. So, who is Dara Khosrowshahi? And what did he have to overcome to become the success he is today?
Personal Background & Immigration to the US
Dara Khosrowshahi was born the youngest of three children to a wealthy family in Tehran, Iran. Decades before becoming a leader of one of the world’s most successful companies—providing work for over seven million drivers and couriers—he and his family faced hardship and challenges.
In 1978, just a year before the Iranian Revolution, Khosrowshahi’s family was being targeted for their wealth, and his mother decided to flee the country, leaving almost everything behind. The family first fled to the south of France, thinking they would return to their homeland after the political turmoil died down. But that never occurred. The family’s investment company was seized by the Iranian government and nationalized, and the family moved even farther away to the United States, settling with a family member in Tarrytown, New York. Khosrowshahi’s mother had to get full-time work to support his education, as the family had little to no money. When his father returned to Iran to care for Khosrowshahi’s grandfather, he was barred from leaving for six years, and Dara spent his teenage years without a father.
But he worked hard and, in 1991, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Brown University.
Professional Background & Achievements
Right after graduating he began working as an analyst at an investment bank, Allen & Company.
Khosrowshahi spent his later career working for companies in various executive leadership positions. Notably, he was the CFO of IAC and became the CEO of the travel website Expedia, after IAC purchased the company. According to The Economist, in 2017, during his tenure at Expedia, the “gross value of [Expedia’s] hotel and other travel bookings more than quadrupled and its pretax earnings more than doubled.” The company also expanded to over 60 countries and bought its travel booking competitors Travelocity, Orbitz, and HomeAway. In June 2013, he received a Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst & Young.
Contributions to the US Economy
In 2017 Uber paid Khosrowshahi a reported $200 million to become its CEO. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Uber (like most other companies) hit a rough patch. Thankfully, its expansion into food delivery services proved very fruitful. After pandemic-era restrictions were lifted, the ride-sharing portion of the company’s profits returned to normal. In the last year, according to Barron’s, “Uber shares have rallied over 70%,” and the company’s 2024 revenues are expected to be twice the pre-pandemic amount.
SOCIALS:
LinkedIn/Instagram/Facebook: As a kid, he had to flee Iran to two different continents with his family. As a new Brown University graduate, he worked as an analyst and an executive at various firms. Now, he’s the CEO of Uber. Dara Khosrowshahi’s story is one filled with tenacity, hard work, and inspiration.
At LCR, we believe all immigrants capable of Khosrowshahi’s success. See if we can help you and your family achieve it.
#usa #immigration #immigrantsmakeamerica #immigrationtousa #AmericanDream #Greencard #lcrcapitalpartners
Twitter/X: When talking about immigrant success stories, we cannot overlook Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber.
