Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

  • Advertisements

The New Economy

Who is Raj Rajaratnam?

Billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, arrested for insider trading, is a Tamil from Sri Lanka who founded his own hedge-fund firm.

By Laurent Belsie / October 16, 2009



Raj Rajaratnam was arrested Friday in connection with a $20 million insider-trading case. Here are some facts about him.

Skip to next paragraph

Recent posts

US citizen residing in New York. Born in Sri Lanka, 1957.
Undergraduate degree: University of Sussex (Britain).
MBA: Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hedge-fund trader who started his career at Needham & Co., becoming its president in 1991. Founded Galleon Group in 1997.
Net worth: $1.3 billion. (World's 559th wealthiest person, according to Forbes.)
Background: One of the most successful businessmen among a diaspora of Tamils who left Sri Lanka to prosper overseas. After the 2004 tsunami hit Sri Lanka, he set up a local charity and urged others to contribute to rebuilding. This year he gave $1 million for the reintegration in society of Tamil fighters, whose military movement was defeated in May.
Politics: Contributed to a number of Democratic campaigns, including $30,800 to Barack Obama and $4,600 to Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election.

E-mail

Read Comments

View reader comments | Comment on this story

Photos of the day

02.13.12 »

What happens when ordinary people decide to pay it forward? Extraordinary change. See how individuals are making a difference...

Charlie Weingarten pictured during a Common Threads cooking class in Los Angeles. The program, one of many projects started by Mr. Weingarten, aims to teach children to love healthy cooking and eating.

Charlie Weingarten finds fresh ways to champion selfless acts of philanthropy

A member of a philanthropic family founded Explore.org to inspire selflessness and lifelong learning.

Become a fan! Follow us! YouTube Link up with us! See our feeds!