Jahanvi Sharma
Arun Nayar is a 54-year-old entrepreneur and businessman, famous for being an heir to one of the biggest Indian textile firms.
Born in December 1964 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, he is also the founder and CEO of Direction Software Solutions. Additionally, he has been popular as the ex-husband of famous English actress and model Elizabeth Hurley.
Early Life
Nayar was born to Vinod Nayar, from India and Gunnar, from Germany.He was raised in Leeds as his father studied there. However, after the birth of his younger brother Nikhil Nayar, the family moved back to India. After the divorce of their parents, Arun and Nikhil stayed with their mother. Arun has Indian nationality and is of Indian-German ethnicity; he belongs to the Hinduism religion.
Net Worth
Nayar’s net worth is over $200 million, accumulated from his sharp business ventures in the textile industry since 1982. His assets include homes in Germany, England and France.
Education
At 16, Nayar returned to England to attend board at Millfield School. Later he became a student at Oxford University, graduating with a B.Sc. degree in Physics. Thereafter, he enrolled into Imperial College, London, from which he earned an MA degree in Physics. Arun is fluent not only in English and Hindi but also in Italian and German.
Business and Career
It was Gunnar, Nayar’s mother who began the textile business back in the 70s. The company grew over time to become one of India’s largest textile companies, earning Arun a jet-set reputation in Mumbai. Arun joined the family business shortly after finishing his education, but he also founded his own company, Direction Software Solutions, a software services and IT consulting firm, of which he is the CEO.
Personal Life
First Wife: Valentina Pedroni
Nayar met Pedroni, an Italian fashion model on a holiday in St. Moritz, Switzerland back in 1991. The couple was married from 1997 to 2005, but separated three years before their divorce was even finalized. The latter received over $6 million as divorce settlement.
Second Wife: Elizabeth Hurley
Just after his divorce from Pedroni, Nayar was romantically involved with Hurley. The duo was spotted together for the first time in January 2003, at the Christian Dior fashion show in Paris, France. They eventually tied the knot in a wedding at Sudeley Castle in March 2007 and celebrated a Hindu wedding at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
Nayar also adopted Hurley’s son from her previous relationship. However, the couple separated just 3 years after their marriage. In April of 2011, she filed for divorce, citing as the main reason his ‘unreasonable behavior’, and the divorce was finalized in June that year.
Current Wife: Kim Johnson
Nayar has been married to model Kim Johnson since 2016. The couple dated from 2011 and were engaged for a year in 2015. Nayar and Johnson hosted a cocktail party for friends and family on July 29, 2016. This was followed by the nuptials on July 30, 2016.
Hobbies & Favorites
In his spare time, Arun enjoys playing golf and reading books. His favorite actor and actress are Salman Khan and Jennifer Lawrence. He also enjoys travelling – his favorite destination is London.