Dara Khosrowshahi

Dara Khosrowshahi
Born	Dara Khosrowshahi 28 5, 1969
Birthplace	Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Nationality	Iranian, American
Occupation	Chief Executive Officer of Uber
Known for	CEO of Uber, former CEO of Expedia Group
Education	Brown University (BS)
Spouse(s)	Kathleen Grant (divorced before 2009) Sydney Shapiro (m. 2012)
Children	4

Dara Khosrowshahi (Template:Lang-fa; born May 28, 1969) is an Iranian-American business executive who serves as the chief executive officer of Uber. Born in Tehran, Iran, into a prominent business family, Khosrowshahi emigrated to the United States as a child amid the political upheaval of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. He rose through the ranks of the American technology industry, eventually leading Expedia Group as CEO for over a decade before being appointed to lead Uber in August 2017. At Uber, he inherited a company embroiled in internal scandals and significant financial losses, and has since overseen its transformation into a publicly traded company operating in more than 70 countries. In addition to his role at Uber, Khosrowshahi has served on the boards of BET.com, Hotels.com, and The New York Times Company. He is recognized as one of the most prominent Iranian-Americans in the business world.

Early Life

Dara Khosrowshahi was born on May 28, 1969, in Tehran, Iran, into a wealthy and influential Iranian family with significant business interests. His uncle, Hassan Khosrowshahi, was a prominent businessman who would later become a well-known Canadian entrepreneur. The Khosrowshahi family had extensive holdings in Iran, including involvement in pharmaceuticals, food distribution, and other industries.

The family's circumstances changed dramatically with the 1979 Iranian Revolution. As the political situation in Iran grew increasingly unstable and the revolutionary government moved to seize private assets, the Khosrowshahi family was forced to flee the country. The family lost much of their business empire in the upheaval. Khosrowshahi was approximately nine years old at the time of the revolution.

The Khosrowshahi family eventually settled in the United States, where Dara grew up and pursued his education. The experience of being a refugee and starting over in a new country has been cited as formative in shaping his worldview and later approach to leadership. Despite the family's losses in Iran, the Khosrowshahis rebuilt their lives in the West, with various family members achieving success in business across North America.

Education

Khosrowshahi attended Brown University, an Ivy League institution in Providence, Rhode Island, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. His educational background in engineering provided a technical foundation that would later prove relevant in his career leading technology-oriented companies. At Brown, Khosrowshahi was exposed to a liberal arts environment alongside his engineering studies, an experience that helped shape his broad approach to business leadership.

After graduating from Brown University, Khosrowshahi entered the business world, initially pursuing a career in investment banking before transitioning to the technology sector.

Career

Early Career and Allen & Company

Following his graduation from Brown University, Khosrowshahi began his career in investment banking at Allen & Company, a boutique investment bank in New York City known for its focus on media and technology companies. He spent several years at Allen & Company, where he developed expertise in the technology and media industries and built a network of contacts that would serve him throughout his career.

At Allen & Company, Khosrowshahi gained experience in deal-making and corporate strategy, skills that would later become central to his roles at Expedia and Uber. The firm's annual Sun Valley conference, a gathering of some of the most powerful figures in media and technology, provided Khosrowshahi with exposure to industry leaders and emerging trends in the technology landscape.

Expedia Group

Khosrowshahi's career took a significant turn when he joined IAC (InterActiveCorp), the media and internet conglomerate controlled by Barry Diller. Through his work at IAC, Khosrowshahi became involved with Expedia, the online travel company that was one of IAC's key holdings.

In 2005, when IAC spun off Expedia as an independent publicly traded company, Khosrowshahi was named as its chief executive officer. Under his leadership, Expedia grew from a single online travel agency into a global travel conglomerate. The company pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, bringing brands such as Hotels.com, Trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, and HomeAway under the Expedia Group umbrella.

During his tenure at Expedia, Khosrowshahi oversaw a period of substantial growth, transforming the company into one of the world's largest online travel platforms. His deal-making acumen became a defining feature of his leadership, as Expedia completed numerous acquisitions to expand its portfolio of travel brands and its geographic reach.

Khosrowshahi's compensation at Expedia drew public attention. In 2015, he received a total compensation package that made him one of the highest-paid CEOs in the United States, a fact highlighted by Fortune magazine in 2016. His compensation included a significant stock award designed to incentivize long-term performance at the company.

Khosrowshahi led Expedia for over twelve years, during which time the company's market capitalization grew substantially. His departure from Expedia in 2017 to join Uber required the company to replace a leader who had become closely identified with its success and strategic direction.

Appointment as Uber CEO

In August 2017, Uber's board of directors selected Khosrowshahi as the company's new chief executive officer, succeeding co-founder Travis Kalanick, who had resigned in June 2017 amid a series of corporate scandals involving allegations of a toxic workplace culture, sexual harassment, and other controversies.

The selection process was closely watched in the technology industry, with several candidates reportedly considered for the role. Khosrowshahi emerged as the board's choice due to his extensive experience running a large, publicly traded technology company and his reputation as a steady, disciplined manager—qualities that contrasted with the combative leadership style that had characterized Uber under Kalanick.

The transition came at considerable financial cost. Bloomberg News reported that Khosrowshahi may have needed at least $200 million in compensation to leave Expedia, where he held substantial unvested stock options and other long-term incentive awards. Uber provided Khosrowshahi with a compensation package designed to offset his forfeited Expedia holdings and incentivize his leadership at the ride-hailing company.

Upon taking the helm, Khosrowshahi faced a formidable set of challenges. The Economist noted that he would need to tackle "huge losses, lawsuits, and a meddling predecessor." The company was losing billions of dollars annually, faced regulatory challenges in multiple markets, and was dealing with the fallout from numerous lawsuits and investigations.

Transformation of Uber

After his appointment, Khosrowshahi moved to reshape Uber's corporate culture and business practices. He publicly acknowledged the company's past missteps and committed to building a more ethical and transparent organization. In a November 2017 interview with Fortune, he addressed the challenges of leading the company through its cultural transformation.

One of Khosrowshahi's most significant early accomplishments was steering Uber toward its initial public offering. On May 10, 2019, Uber went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Khosrowshahi wrote a letter to employees on the day of the IPO, marking the milestone as a new chapter for the company.

Under Khosrowshahi's leadership, Uber also pursued a path toward profitability, which had long eluded the company. The company had been losing approximately $3 billion per year when he took over, and reducing these losses became a central focus of his strategy. He implemented cost-cutting measures, streamlined operations, and focused the company's efforts on its core ride-hailing and food delivery businesses. The Uber Eats delivery service grew into a major business line, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for restaurant and grocery delivery surged.

Khosrowshahi also expanded Uber's geographic and operational footprint, growing the company's presence to more than 70 countries with over 200 million monthly active users, according to Nasdaq reporting in 2026.

Autonomous Vehicles and AI Strategy

As CEO, Khosrowshahi has positioned Uber to engage with the emerging autonomous vehicle industry. Rather than developing its own self-driving technology—Uber sold its Advanced Technologies Group to Aurora Innovation in 2020—Khosrowshahi has pursued a partnership-based approach, working with autonomous vehicle companies to integrate robotaxis into Uber's platform.

In February 2026, Khosrowshahi stated in an interview that most Uber rides could be operated by robots within 20 years, signaling the company's long-term strategic direction. He also suggested that Uber's food and freight delivery businesses could provide a key economic advantage in the robotaxi market, as autonomous vehicles could be utilized for deliveries during periods of lower ride-hailing demand.

On the broader topic of artificial intelligence, Khosrowshahi has been vocal about both the opportunities and risks presented by AI technology. In early 2026, he acknowledged that AI could displace millions of jobs, including those of Uber's own drivers, while also noting that business leaders must begin to confront this reality. He criticized many companies for "play-acting" with AI, suggesting that meaningful AI adoption requires fundamentally rethinking business processes rather than making superficial changes.

Controversies

Khosrowshahi attracted criticism in November 2019 when, in an interview with Axios on HBO, he initially described the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabian government agents as a "mistake," drawing a comparison to a fatal crash involving one of Uber's self-driving test vehicles. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is a major Uber investor. Following widespread backlash, Khosrowshahi retracted his comments and stated unequivocally that the killing of Khashoggi was "reprehensible and should not be forgotten or excused."

Khosrowshahi also instituted a performance-oriented culture at Uber, stating publicly that employees who do not meet performance expectations are removed. This approach has been noted as a departure from some of the more permissive management practices of the company's earlier era under Kalanick, though it has also drawn scrutiny regarding workplace pressures.

Personal Life

Khosrowshahi is of Iranian descent and holds both Iranian and American citizenship. He is recognized by the U.S. Embassy in Iran as a prominent Iranian-American.

Khosrowshahi was previously married to Kathleen Grant, with whom he has children. The marriage ended before 2009. In 2012, he married Sydney Shapiro. He has four children in total.

Khosrowshahi has been politically active, making contributions to political campaigns as documented in Federal Election Commission records. He has spoken publicly about his experience as an immigrant and refugee, using his personal story to address broader themes of immigration and opportunity in the United States.

During his time at Uber, Khosrowshahi has been based in San Francisco, where Uber maintains its headquarters. He was named to the San Francisco Business Times' Newsmaker 100 list of influential people in the Bay Area.

Board Memberships

In addition to his executive roles, Khosrowshahi has served on several corporate boards. He has been a member of the board of directors of BET.com and Hotels.com. He also served on the board of The New York Times Company, a position that reflected his standing in the media and technology industries.

Recognition

Khosrowshahi's leadership has drawn attention from major business and news publications. His appointment as Uber CEO was covered extensively by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Economist, CNBC, and other outlets, reflecting the significance of the appointment for the technology industry.

His compensation at Expedia made him one of the highest-paid executives in the United States, as documented by Fortune magazine. At Uber, his total compensation in certain years exceeded $45 million, according to Business Insider.

Khosrowshahi has been recognized as one of the most prominent Iranian-Americans by the United States Embassy. His leadership of Uber through its IPO, financial turnaround, and strategic repositioning around autonomous vehicles and AI has made him one of the most discussed executives in the global technology sector.

He was named to the San Francisco Business Times' Newsmaker 100 list, which highlights the most influential individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area business community.

Legacy

Khosrowshahi's career trajectory—from Iranian refugee to the leader of one of the world's most recognizable technology companies—has become one of the more noted executive biographies in contemporary American business. His appointment at Uber in 2017 represented a deliberate choice by the company's board to select a leader known for operational discipline and corporate governance, following a period of significant organizational turmoil.

At Expedia, Khosrowshahi demonstrated an ability to build a diversified travel empire through strategic acquisitions over a twelve-year tenure, establishing a track record that made him an attractive candidate for the Uber role. At Uber, he has overseen the company's transition from a privately held startup defined by aggressive growth tactics and mounting losses to a publicly traded company focused on profitability and long-term sustainability.

His public engagement with the future of autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence has positioned him as a significant voice in debates about the role of technology in the labor market. His acknowledgment that AI could displace Uber's own drivers, even as the company pursues autonomous vehicle partnerships, reflects a willingness to address uncomfortable strategic realities publicly.

The Mercury News noted at the time of his Uber appointment that Khosrowshahi brought to the role a combination of technical education, deal-making experience, and a temperament suited to managing complex organizational challenges.