Who Is Shiva Ayyadurai? Age, Biography and Wiki
Shiva Ayyadurai was born on December 2, 1963, making him 61 years old in 2025. He is widely recognized as an Indian-American engineer, entrepreneur, and controversial figure in the realm of technology and politics. Ayyadurai gained fame for claiming to have invented email at the age of 14, a claim that sparked significant debate within the tech community. Over the years, he has diversified his career, ranging from software development to political activism.
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 2, 1963 |
| Age | 61 Years |
| Birth Place | Bombay, India |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | India |
Popularity
Shiva Ayyadurai's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
In terms of physical statistics, Shiva Ayyadurai stands at approximately 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall and weighs around 160 pounds (72 kg). His body measurements are not widely shared, but he maintains a fit appearance, likely due to his active lifestyle.
The European Food Safety Agency evaluated the paper and determined that "the author's conclusions are not supported" due to the lack of information on the input into the model, the fact that the model was not validated and because no measurements of soybeans were made to establish whether GM soy actually contained elevated levels of formaldehyde.
Plant scientist Kevin Folta noted that there was "no evidence ever published ... that shows a difference in formaldehyde between GM and non-GM varieties". Ayyadurai later cited the study as evidence of a lack of safety standards for GM foods and bet Monsanto a $10 million building if they could prove that they were safe.
Monsanto did not take up the challenge but stated that GM food did indeed undergo safety assessments that "are more rigorous and thorough than assessments of any other food crop in history". In 2016, Ayyadurai promised to donate $10 million to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign if she could disprove his research.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Shiva Ayyadurai has kept most of his personal life private, including his family and relationships. While he has been linked to various public figures in the past, he has always emphasized a focus on his career over his romantic involvements. There is no publicly confirmed information regarding his current girlfriend or any marital status.
In 1978, as a 14-year-old high school student, Ayyadurai attended a summer program at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University (NYU) to study computer programming.
While a student at Livingston High School in New Jersey, Ayyadurai volunteered at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) where his mother worked. While there Leslie Michelson asked him to set up an electronic messaging system for 100 users at the medical school.
In 1982, he registered the copyright for the source code and user documentation of the FORTRAN program called EMAIL.
Net Worth and Salary
Shiva Ayyadurai's net worth as of 2025 is estimated to be around $5 million. His income primarily stems from his various business ventures, investments, and public speaking engagements. As a controversial figure, he has leveraged his notoriety to carve out a niche in entrepreneurial circles, contributing significantly to his overall earnings.
Brahmachari said that "the offer was withdrawn as [Ayyadurai] did not accept the terms and conditions and demanded unreasonable compensation." In its report, The New York Times said that "going public with such accusations is highly unusual. Mr.
Ayyadurai circulated his paper not just to the agency's scientists but to journalists, and wrote about his situation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh." In that letter, Ayyadurai said his report was intended to explore institutional barriers to CSIR's entrepreneurial mandate.
He said that CSIR scientists reported that "they work in a medieval, feudal environment" that required a "major overhaul". The letter was co-authored by a colleague, Deepak Sardana.
Pushpa Bhargava, founding director of the CSIR's Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, endorsed the letter, calling Ayyadurai's sacking the worst of many cases he had seen of "vindictiveness in the CSIR" and accused CSIR administration of being "impervious to healthy and fair criticism".
The incident was seen as an example of the difficulty some Indian expatriate professionals may encounter returning home after growing accustomed to the more direct management style of the U.S.
Career, Business, and Investments
In his career, Ayyadurai has worn many hats — from founding tech companies to becoming an outspoken figure in political discourse. He has invested in various startups and is known for his patronage of innovative ventures. His entrepreneurial journey took off with the founding of his company, EchoMail, which aimed to improve email management. In recent years, he has also been active in the political arena, running for office and promoting his vision for America's future.
V. A. Shiva Ayyadurai (born Vellayappa Ayyadurai Shiva on December 2, 1963) is an Indian-American engineer, entrepreneur, and anti-vaccine activist. He has become known for promoting conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, and unfounded medical claims.
Ayyadurai holds four degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including a PhD in biological engineering, and is a Fulbright grant recipient.
Social Network
Shiva Ayyadurai is active on several social media platforms, where he engages with his audience and shares his views. He has a substantial following on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, often using these platforms to discuss his projects, political beliefs, and personal insights. His online presence has become an integral part of his brand, allowing him to connect with supporters and critics alike.
Ayyadurai also attracted attention for two reports: the first questioning the working conditions of India's largest scientific agency; the second questioning the safety of genetically modified food, such as soybeans.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayyadurai became known for a social media COVID-19 disinformation campaign, spreading conspiracy theories about the cause of COVID-19, promoting unfounded COVID-19 treatments, and campaigning to fire Anthony Fauci for allegedly being a deep state actor.
Education
Ayyadurai attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned multiple degrees, including a PhD in Biological Engineering. His educational background not only established him as a credible figure in the engineering community but also provided the foundation for his later ventures in technology and entrepreneurship.
Ayyadurai's undergraduate degree from MIT was in electrical engineering and computer science; he took a master's degree in visual studies from the MIT Media Laboratory on scientific visualization; concurrently, he completed another master's degree in mechanical engineering, also from MIT; and in 2007, he obtained a PhD in biological engineering fro
m MIT in systems biology, with his thesis focusing on modeling the whole cell by integrating molecular pathway models.
In 2007, he was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to study the integration of Siddha, a system of traditional medicine developed in South India, with modern systems biology.
