Arun Nayar is a British-Indian businessman and technology entrepreneur who became internationally known through his marriage to Elizabeth Hurley. Yet long before the celebrity wedding photographs, Nayar had built a serious business career. He co-founded Direction Software in 1998 and remains its chairman and CEO, while his education includes physics degrees from Oxford University and Imperial College London.
His life has crossed several worlds: Britain, India, Germany, technology, textiles and celebrity society. His 2007 marriage to Hurley made him a familiar face in entertainment news, but the marriage ended in 2011. Today, his company biography still places him firmly in business rather than entertainment.
Quick Bio of Arun Nayar
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Arun Nayar |
| Born | 1964 |
| Age in 2026 | About 61–62 |
| Birthplace | Reported as Britain |
| Heritage | Indian and German family background |
| Father | Vinod Nayar |
| Mother | Gunnar Nayar |
| Brother | Nikhil “Nikki” Nayar |
| Education | Christ Church, Oxford; Imperial College London |
| Field of Study | Physics |
| Profession | Businessman, technology entrepreneur |
| Company | Direction Software |
| Position | Chairman, CEO and co-founder |
| First Wife | Valentina Pedroni |
| Second Wife | Elizabeth Hurley |
| Hurley Marriage | 2007–2011 |
| Later Wife | Kim Johnson |
| Children | No well-established biological children in major sources |
| Net Worth | Exact figure not independently verified |
Who Is Arun Nayar?
Arun Nayar is sometimes introduced simply as “Elizabeth Hurley’s ex-husband.”
That description leaves out most of his story.
His company’s current leadership page identifies him as the chairman, CEO and co-founder of Direction, an IT and business-consulting company headquartered in Mumbai. Direction says Nayar and Sanjay Gupta founded the business in November 1998.
So although celebrity coverage made his face recognizable, his working life developed mainly in technology and business.
That career stretches back decades.
Arun Nayar Was Born Into an International Family
Nayar’s background was international long before his adult career became divided between Britain and India.
A 2007 Times of India profile identified him as the eldest son of businessman Vinod Nayar and his German mother, Gunnar. It reported that his mother established a textile business in Mumbai and raised Arun and his younger brother after separating from their father.
This helps explain why descriptions of Nayar can seem confusing.
Some call him British.
Others call him Indian.
His family story genuinely crosses national and cultural boundaries.
When Was Arun Nayar Born?
Reliable contemporary reporting places Nayar’s birth in 1964.
That would make him around 61 or 62 in 2026, depending on his exact birthday.
Some online profiles provide a precise birth date, but the stronger sources reviewed here do not consistently establish it.
For that reason, the birth year is safer than claiming an exact birthday.
He Spent Part of His Childhood in Mumbai
After his parents separated, Nayar and his brother were raised primarily by their mother.
The Times of India reports that the brothers attended the Cathedral & John Connon School in Mumbai.
That is an important part of Nayar’s background.
His later business career in Mumbai was not simply an overseas investment by someone unfamiliar with India.
The city was part of his upbringing.
Arun Later Studied in England
Nayar eventually continued his education in Britain.
The Times of India reported that he attended Millfield School in Somerset before moving on to university.
His academic path then became surprisingly scientific.
He did not originally study business administration.
He studied physics.
Arun Nayar Studied Physics at Oxford
Direction’s official leadership biography states that Nayar earned a B.Sc. in Physics from Oxford University.
The Times of India identifies his Oxford college as Christ Church.
That academic background is interesting because it is far removed from the celebrity-socialite image that later surrounded him.
Before the red carpets came equations, science and university study.
And Oxford was not the end of his education.
He Also Studied at Imperial College London
Nayar continued his physics education at Imperial College London, where Direction says he earned a master’s degree in physics.
That means his educational background includes two major British institutions.
Oxford gave him his undergraduate physics training.
Imperial provided postgraduate study.
He eventually moved away from pure science and toward business, but his technical education fits surprisingly well with the technology company he later created.
Arun Nayar Speaks Several Languages
His international upbringing also shows in language.
Direction’s official biography says Nayar speaks English, German and Italian fluently.
Older profiles sometimes claim additional languages.
However, his company’s own biography explicitly confirms those three, so they are the safest to state as established facts.
His language skills make sense given his multinational family background and international business career.
His Career Started Before Direction Software
Nayar did not begin his career by immediately creating his current company.
Direction says that from 1992 to 1998, he was involved in the early development of what it describes as a rapidly growing mail-order company in India.
That gave him years of commercial experience before he moved deeper into technology.
Then, in 1998, he made the move that would define his business career.
Arun Nayar Co-Founded Direction Software
Direction Software says the company was founded in November 1998 by Arun Nayar and Sanjay Gupta.
The company developed into an IT services and business-consulting operation headquartered in Mumbai.
Its services have expanded across areas such as software development, business applications, digital solutions and consulting.
Nayar remained closely connected to the company’s leadership.
Is Arun Nayar Still CEO of Direction?
Yes, according to Direction’s current official leadership information.
The company identifies him as its Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and co-founder.
His responsibilities include strategic direction, management and company policy.
That is important because older celebrity biographies sometimes discuss his business career entirely in the past tense.
His own company does not.
It continues to identify him as a senior leader.
Direction Became an International Business
Direction says it now serves more than 150 national and 50 international clients.
The company describes itself as having Indo-German management and operating from Mumbai.
Nayar’s background fits that structure unusually well.
His father was Indian.
His mother was German.
He studied in Britain.
And his company built an international customer base.
His biography has always crossed borders.
Was Arun Nayar a Textile Heir?
Media coverage frequently called Nayar a textile heir or textile tycoon.
That description came partly from his family’s business background.
His mother was associated with a textile company in Mumbai, while older reporting connected the Nayar family with significant wealth.
However, calling him only a textile heir misses his own technology work.
The clearer modern description is technology entrepreneur and businessman with a family background in textiles.
Arun Nayar’s First Wife Was Valentina Pedroni
Long before Elizabeth Hurley, Nayar was married to Valentina Pedroni, an Italian model.
A 2003 British Vogue report described Pedroni as Nayar’s wife and said the pair had married several years earlier.
The Times of India later placed their marriage in 1994.
Their relationship eventually broke down.
But the divorce became particularly important when Nayar began dating someone much more famous.
How Did Arun Nayar Meet Elizabeth Hurley?
Hurley and Nayar began dating in late 2002.
Contemporary Vogue reporting said they met in St. Moritz during the winter period around the beginning of their relationship.
Soon, photographs of the new couple began appearing in the press.
That changed Nayar’s public profile almost overnight.
He was no longer simply a businessman moving between international offices and social circles.
He was dating one of Britain’s best-known models and actresses.
Their Relationship Became Serious Quickly
By 2003, Hurley and Nayar were appearing publicly as a couple.
Vogue reported in July 2003 that Hurley had accepted a marriage proposal from Nayar, although his existing marriage to Pedroni meant they could not immediately marry.
Eventually, that earlier marriage was dissolved.
Hurley and Nayar remained together for several more years before finally holding their wedding.
Arun Became Part of Damian Hurley’s Life
Hurley already had a son, Damian Hurley, from her previous relationship with Steve Bing.
Damian was still young when Nayar entered the family.
Nayar and Hurley later lived together with Damian on Hurley’s Gloucestershire property during their marriage.
Nayar was not Damian’s biological father.
That distinction is important.
But he was part of Damian’s household during several childhood years.
When Did Arun Nayar Marry Elizabeth Hurley?
The couple married in March 2007.
Their wedding was not a simple one-day event.
It became an international celebration spanning Britain and India.
CBS reported that the civil marriage took place at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, on March 2, followed by further celebrations.
Then came India.
Their Wedding Combined British and Indian Traditions
After the English celebration, the couple traveled to India for another major ceremony.
ABC and CBS reported that they held a traditional Hindu wedding celebration in Jodhpur, associated with Umaid Bhavan Palace.
The guest list included major celebrity names.
Elton John was among the best-known guests and was reported to have given Hurley away at the English celebration.
The wedding attracted enormous media attention.
For a time, Arun Nayar became almost as familiar to British celebrity-magazine readers as Hurley herself.
The Couple Lived in Gloucestershire
During their marriage, Hurley and Nayar lived with Damian on a large organic farm in Barnsley, Gloucestershire.
That offered a quieter contrast to their public appearances.
One day might involve a movie premiere or charity gala.
Another involved life in the English countryside.
Their marriage appeared frequently in magazines, but much of their everyday life happened away from cameras.
Did Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley Have Children?
No.
Reliable reporting from the time of their separation states that Hurley and Nayar had no children together.
Hurley’s son Damian was from her earlier relationship with Steve Bing.
Nayar became part of the household but was not Damian’s biological father.
This is another detail that some online biographies blur.
When Did Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley Separate?
Their marriage began breaking down in 2010.
In December that year, Hurley publicly confirmed that she and Nayar had actually separated several months earlier.
The announcement came amid heavy media coverage of photographs showing Hurley with former Australian cricketer Shane Warne.
But Hurley specifically clarified that her marriage to Nayar had already been separated for months.
That timeline matters when discussing what happened.
Why Did Elizabeth Hurley Divorce Arun Nayar?
Hurley filed for divorce in April 2011.
Court reporting said she cited Nayar’s “unreasonable behaviour,” which was a legal ground used under English divorce law at the time.
That legal phrase should not automatically be turned into a detailed personal accusation.
The court record establishes the ground.
It does not establish every private reason the marriage failed.
Celebrity reporting surrounding the separation included extensive speculation, but speculation should not replace the documented record.
Their Divorce Was Granted in June 2011
The marriage officially ended on June 15, 2011.
ABC reported that a London court granted the divorce after approximately four years of marriage. Neither Hurley nor Nayar attended the brief hearing.
CBS likewise reported that District Judge Penny Cushing granted the decree.
That ended a relationship that had lasted considerably longer than the marriage itself.
The pair had been together since late 2002.
Did Arun and Elizabeth Remain Friendly?
Later accounts have described Nayar and Hurley as maintaining friendly connections after the divorce.
Their separation therefore did not necessarily produce permanent public hostility.
That is not especially surprising when remembering that Nayar had spent years as part of a household that included Damian.
Still, the details of a former couple’s private friendship can change over time.
The clearest fact is that both moved forward with separate personal lives after 2011.
Arun Nayar and Kim Johnson
After his separation from Hurley, Nayar became publicly associated with Kim Johnson.
The pair attended numerous social and charity events together.
They were photographed at an Ark charity gala in London in May 2012 and continued making appearances together over the following years.
By 2013, they were attending major British society events as a couple.
Kim Johnson and Arun at the White Tie and Tiara Ball
In June 2013, Nayar and Johnson attended the annual White Tie and Tiara Ball in Windsor.
They were also photographed together at art and design events in London that year.
The appearances showed that Nayar remained part of Britain’s high-profile social scene even after his marriage to Hurley ended.
But his relationship with Johnson was not simply a string of red carpets.
Later reports said they married.
Did Arun Nayar Marry Kim Johnson?
Yes, widely reported biographical accounts identify Kim Johnson as Nayar’s later wife.
However, details surrounding the exact marriage date and subsequent status are less consistently documented by high-quality current sources than his marriage to Hurley.
This is an area where many celebrity websites simply repeat one another.
For that reason, the safest description is that Nayar later married Kim Johnson, after the couple had been publicly together for several years.
Claims about a precise divorce date should be treated more cautiously unless supported by stronger documentation.
How Many Times Has Arun Nayar Been Married?
Nayar has been publicly associated with three marriages:
Valentina Pedroni,
Elizabeth Hurley,
and Kim Johnson.
His marriage to Hurley remains by far the most widely documented because of the enormous press attention surrounding both their wedding and divorce.
The first marriage is also supported by contemporary Vogue and Indian press reporting.
His later personal life has received less consistent mainstream coverage.
Does Arun Nayar Have Children?
No biological children are firmly established for Nayar in the strongest public sources reviewed here.
He did, however, spend important years living with Hurley’s son Damian during his marriage to Elizabeth.
That family connection should not be confused with biological parenthood.
Online biographies occasionally make confident claims about children without strong sourcing.
There is no need to do that.
What Is Arun Nayar Doing Now?
The clearest answer comes from his company.
Direction’s current leadership page continues to list Nayar as CEO, chairman and co-founder.
That means his professional identity remains firmly connected with technology and business.
Direction describes itself as an IT solutions and business-consulting company with national and international clients.
So although older entertainment coverage remembers the celebrity wedding, Nayar’s day-to-day professional legacy is much more closely tied to business.
He Still Appears at Major Social Events
Nayar has not disappeared entirely from public view.
Photographs from art fairs and society events have continued to show him in London.
These appearances fit the pattern of his adult life.
He is not an entertainer.
He does not need to promote movies or albums.
But his international business connections and past celebrity relationships have kept him visible in high-profile social circles.
Is Arun Nayar an Actor?
No.
Nayar is not professionally known as an actor.
His established career is in business and technology.
He became a celebrity-news figure because of his relationship and marriage to Elizabeth Hurley, not because he pursued an entertainment career.
That difference is worth remembering when reading short online profiles.
Being photographed on a red carpet does not automatically make someone part of the film industry.
What Is Arun Nayar’s Net Worth?
This is one of the most searched questions about him.
It is also one of the hardest to answer responsibly.
Some celebrity and lifestyle websites assign Nayar extremely large fortunes, sometimes describing him as worth hundreds of millions.
But there is no independently verified public financial disclosure establishing a precise personal net worth.
We know he has a long business career.
We know he co-founded and leads Direction.
We know his family had significant business interests.
None of those facts allows an outsider to calculate his exact assets, debts, ownership stakes and investments.
A precise figure should therefore be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Is Arun Nayar a Billionaire?
There is no reliable basis for confidently describing Nayar as a billionaire.
The word appears occasionally in loosely sourced celebrity coverage.
But business success and family wealth do not automatically equal billionaire status.
Without strong financial documentation, that label is better avoided.
“Successful technology entrepreneur and businessman” is both accurate and sufficient.
Why Arun Nayar Became Famous
Nayar’s fame developed in an unusual order.
He was already successful before becoming famous.
His business career existed first.
Then he began dating Hurley.
Suddenly, photographers followed him.
His clothes were discussed.
His wedding became international news.
His divorce became international news.
That public attention could make it seem as though his life began with Hurley.
It did not.
By the time they married in 2007, he was already an Oxford-educated businessman who had co-founded Direction almost a decade earlier.
Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley Followed Different Paths
After the divorce, their lives moved in different directions.
Hurley continued acting, modeling and business work and later entered other high-profile relationships. As of 2025 and into the subsequent period, she was publicly linked with musician Billy Ray Cyrus.
Nayar returned to a much lower-profile public life centered on business and society events.
Their marriage remains an important part of both biographies.
But it does not define either person’s entire adult life.
Final Thoughts
Arun Nayar became internationally recognizable as Elizabeth Hurley’s husband, but his own story began long before their relationship.
Born in 1964 into an Indian-German family, he spent important childhood years in Mumbai before continuing his education in Britain.
He studied physics at Oxford University and earned a master’s degree in physics from Imperial College London.
Then came business.
After gaining commercial experience during the 1990s, Nayar co-founded Direction Software in 1998. The company still identifies him as its chairman and CEO today.
His private life eventually brought far more public attention.
After an earlier marriage to Italian model Valentina Pedroni, Nayar began dating Elizabeth Hurley in late 2002.
They married in 2007 with celebrations in England and India.
But by 2010 they had separated, and their divorce was granted on June 15, 2011.
Nayar later built a relationship with Kim Johnson and continued appearing at major British social events.
Still, his longest-running public achievement is not a marriage or red-carpet photograph.
It is his business career.
More than a quarter-century after Direction was founded, its own current leadership page still lists Arun Nayar at the top of the company.
That makes the fuller picture clear.
Arun Nayar is certainly Elizabeth Hurley’s ex-husband.
But he is also an Oxford-educated physicist turned technology entrepreneur whose professional career has lasted much longer than the celebrity marriage that made his name familiar around the world.
FAQs About Arun Nayar
Who is Arun Nayar?
Arun Nayar is a British-Indian businessman and technology entrepreneur. He is chairman, CEO and co-founder of Direction and is widely known as Elizabeth Hurley’s former husband.
How old is Arun Nayar?
Reliable reporting places his birth in 1964, making him around 61 or 62 in 2026.
Where did Arun Nayar study?
Nayar studied physics at Oxford University and later earned a master’s degree in physics from Imperial College London.
What does Arun Nayar do?
He is a technology entrepreneur. Direction currently lists him as its chairman, CEO and co-founder.
When was Direction Software founded?
Direction says Arun Nayar and Sanjay Gupta founded the company in November 1998.
Who was Arun Nayar’s first wife?
His first wife was Italian model Valentina Pedroni. Contemporary reporting says they married in the 1990s.
When did Arun Nayar marry Elizabeth Hurley?
They married in March 2007, beginning with an English celebration at Sudeley Castle and later holding an Indian wedding celebration in Jodhpur.
When did Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley divorce?
Their divorce was granted on June 15, 2011, after approximately four years of marriage.
Did Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley have children?
No. Contemporary reporting states that they had no children together. Hurley’s son Damian is from her previous relationship with Steve Bing.
Why did Arun Nayar and Elizabeth Hurley divorce?
Hurley filed for divorce citing Nayar’s “unreasonable behaviour,” the legal ground recorded in the divorce proceedings. The phrase should not be expanded into unsupported claims about their private marriage.
Who did Arun Nayar date after Elizabeth Hurley?
He later had a well-publicized relationship with Kim Johnson, with the pair appearing together at numerous British charity and society events.
Did Arun Nayar marry Kim Johnson?
Widely reported biographical accounts identify Johnson as a later wife of Nayar. However, the exact later timeline is less consistently documented in authoritative sources than his marriage to Hurley.
Does Arun Nayar have children?
No biological children are firmly established by the strongest public sources reviewed here.
Is Arun Nayar still in business?
Yes. Direction’s current leadership page identifies him as its CEO and chairman.
What is Arun Nayar’s net worth?
His exact personal net worth is not independently verified. Large figures appearing on celebrity websites should be treated as estimates rather than confirmed financial facts.
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