Zoho CEO hit with $1.7B divorce bond—here's what's going on
Zoho co-founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu has been ordered by a California court to post a $1.7 billion divorce bond after splitting from his wife, Pramila Srinivasan, making it one of the largest divorce-related financial orders in history, according to media reports.
What led to this massive settlement?
Vembu and Srinivasan were married for nearly 30 years and lived in California with their autistic son before Vembu moved to rural Tamil Nadu in 2020.
After filing for divorce in 2020, things turned tense: Srinivasan accused Vembu of abandoning their son and secretly moving Zoho assets to his family in India—claims she said broke community property laws.
Why the court got tough
The judge saw Vembu's asset transfers as a possible way to dodge fair division of property, so they froze restructuring plans and put US Zoho assets under receivership.
The huge bond is meant to protect Srinivasan's share while everything gets sorted out—and yes, Vembu is appealing the decision.