Explore the life and achievements of Rohan Murty, son of Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy. From his academic pursuits to his entrepreneurial ventures and personal life, this comprehensive biography covers it all.
Wiki/Biography
Rohan Murty was born in 1983 (36 years old as of 2019) in Hubli, Karnataka. He attended Bishop Cotton Boy’s School in Bangalore before moving to New York for his undergraduate studies in Computer Science at Cornell University. He later earned his PhD in computer engineering from Harvard University in 2011, supported by prestigious fellowships including the Siebel Scholars Fellowship and the Microsoft Research Fellowship.
During his Harvard years, he shared a memorable anecdote about his diverse high school classmates: “I don’t remember much from the early years but a bunch of us studied Kannada in middle and senior schools. I attended senior school with an auto-driver, a cricketer, a giraffe, a senior mug pot, another mug pot, a pianist, a geek, a brainiac, a Bong, a lawyer and a pilot.”
Physical Appearance
- Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
- Hair Colour: Black
- Eye Colour: Black
Family, Caste & Wife
Rohan comes from a Hindu-Brahmin family. His father, N. R. Narayana Murthy, is the renowned Infosys co-founder, and his mother, Sudha Murthy, is a significant figure in philanthropy as one of the founders of the Infosys Foundation. He also has an elder sister, Akshata Murthy, married to Rishi Sunak, a prominent British politician.
Rohan’s maternal uncle, Shrinivas Kulkarni, a professor of astrophysics, played a considerable role in shaping his life. Rohan was previously married to Lakshmi Venu, daughter of TVS Motors Chairman Venu Srinivasan. The couple divorced in 2015 after separating in 2013.
He later married Aparna Krishnan, daughter of Kochi-based Savithri Krishnan and Commander KR Krishnan, after a three-year courtship. Their wedding took place on December 2, 2019.
Career
Rohan’s career is marked by both academic and entrepreneurial achievements. In 2010, he established the Murty Classical Library of India, a project dedicated to making ancient Indian literature accessible to modern readers. This initiative followed the model of the Clay Sanskrit Library Project, led by Sheldon Pollock.
He’s also been involved with Catamaran Ventures, a substantial venture capital fund spearheaded by his father. He briefly worked at Infosys, serving as an executive assistant and later Vice President before leaving in 2014. He holds a Junior Fellowship at the Harvard Society of Fellows.
Net Worth
In 2019, his net worth was estimated at $500 million.
Favourite Things
Here’s a glimpse into Rohan’s preferences:
| Category | Favorite |
|---|---|
| Comedian | Don Rickles |
| Singers | Shania Twain, Michael Jackson, Elton John |
| Music Bands | Led Zeppelin, Guns N’ Roses |
| Cartoon Character | Tom and Jerry |
| Superhero | Superman |
Facts/Trivia
- He experienced infantile eczema and childhood allergies to vaccinations.
- He spells his surname differently from his father (Murty instead of Murthy).
- He developed a passion for programming early in life, starting with a home computer and progressing through self-learning and formal classes.
- In 2016, he defended Sheldon Pollock’s position as Chief Editor of the Murty Classical Library against a petition for his removal.
- His groundbreaking PhD thesis focused on the utilization of whitespace (spectrum).
- He is a dog lover and owns a dog named Gopi.
- His hobbies include reading, dancing (swing and salsa), and traveling.
