The son of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella died Monday.
Zain Nadella, 26, was born with cerebral palsy. The elder Nadella announced the news of his son's death in an email to his executive staff, asking them to hold the family in their thoughts and prayers while giving them space to grieve privately, according to the news outlet.
“Zain will be remembered for his eclectic taste in music, his bright sunny smile and the immense joy he brought to his family and all those who loved him,” Jeff Sperring, CEO of Seattle Children’s Hospital, where Zain had received treatment, wrote in a message to his board, which was shared with Microsoft executives, Bloomberg reported.
“Very sadly Satya’s son, Zain Nadella, has passed away,” a Microsoft spokesperson told NBC News. “The Nadellas are taking time to grieve privately as a family.”
Nadella has three children with his wife, Anu.
According to a biography about Satya Nadella on the company's website promoting his 2017 book, “Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone," he is the company’s third CEO in its 40-year history. Nadella emigrated from Hyderabad, India, to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at age 21.
He joined Microsoft in 1992 “where he would lead a variety of products and innovations across the company’s consumer and enterprise businesses,” the company said. “Nadella serves on the Board of Directors for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Starbucks. Satya and Anu personally support Seattle Children’s Hospital as well as other organizations in the Seattle area that serve the unique needs of people with disabilities.”
