(RepublicanView.org) – Sanjay Shah, the 56-year-old CEO of Vistex, a tech firm based in Illinois, died in front of a large crowd during a speech celebrating his company’s 25-year anniversary in India.
Shah and Raju Datla, Vistex’s president, were being lowered in a fake hot air balloon as pyrotechnics blazed around them. At one point, a cable supporting the prop broke and the basket jerked sideways, dumping both men down 20 feet to the stage. Datla was rushed to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment. Both men appeared to be dancing in the stage prop before the cable broke.
The incident occurred at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City studio on January 18. The venue is a popular spot for tourists and corporate events. The basket holding the men was being supported by double-layered iron wires and was suspended on both sides.
The event was originally scheduled to last two days. Over 700 people were in attendance, including several employees that Shah arranged travel expenses for.
Shah was originally born in Mumbai. However, he moved to the United States for college, where he graduated from Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University with an MBA in 1989. He was 21 upon graduating. He spent time working for General Motors before moving to Germany to work with a large software corporation.
Shah then moved back to the United States and founded Vistex in 1999. The firm provided software and technical support for large corporations, including GM and Whirlpool. His company continued to experience revenue growth every year without relying on outside sources for funds. He also became a philanthropist after founding the Vistex Foundation to support various nonprofits dedicated to health and education.
He was also an owner of Chicago’s Trump tower in 2014. He paid $17 million for the penthouse but only occasionally used it for social events. He sold it in 2022 for $30 million, nearly doubling his original investment.
His company released a statement expressing their shock and sadness at Shah’s tragic death.
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