Nimarata Nikki Haley, previously known as Randhawa, was born on January 20, 1972. She is an American politician and diplomat, having held the position of the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and the 29th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018. Haley, a Republican, is recognized as the first Indian American to be a part of a presidential cabinet. She participated in the 2025 Republican Party presidential primaries and achieved a historic victory in the Washington, D.C. primary on March 3, 2025, becoming the first woman to win a Republican Party presidential primary contest.
Nikki Haley 2025 Presidential Campaign
Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced her campaign for the 2025 United States presidential election in a campaign video on February 14, 2023. On March 6, 2025, Haley suspended her campaign following Super Tuesday. Haley is the first woman of color to be a major candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. She is the first female former governor to run for president. If elected, Haley would have become the first female president and the first Asian American president of the United States. She made history on March 3, 2025, by becoming the initial woman and first Asian-American to clinch a Republican presidential primary in the District of Columbia. Later, she also secured the Vermont primary. Despite leaving the Republican primary race on March 6, 2025, she still garners support in Republican primaries.
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Nikki Haleym Overview
Campaign
2025 United States presidential election
(Republican presidential primaries)
Candidate
Nikki Haley
116th Governor of South Carolina (2011–2017)
29th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018)
Haley was born on January 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina, to Sikh immigrants Dr. Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, who relocated from the Amritsar District of Punjab, India. She has two brothers, Mitti and Charan, and a sister named Simran. Haley completed her education at Orangeburg Preparatory School and obtained a B.S. in accounting from Clemson University in 1994. Following her graduation, she joined FCR Corporation, a waste management and recycling company. Subsequently, Haley assumed the role of chief financial officer at Exotica International, her family’s clothing business established by her mother as a gift shop during Haley’s childhood. Haley took over the company’s bookkeeping responsibilities at the age of 13 and played a significant role in its expansion into a multimillion-dollar enterprise while serving as CFO.
Haley was appointed to the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce board of directors in 1998. She joined the Lexington Chamber of Commerce in 2003 and assumed the role of treasurer for the National Association of Women Business Owners that same year, eventually becoming its president in 2004. In 1996, she wed Michael Haley, with whom she has two children. Michael Haley, a U.S. National Guard member, spent 11 months in Afghanistan training local farmers in cultivating new crops. He was deployed while Haley was serving her first term as governor.
Her autobiography, Can’t is Not an Option, was released in 2012. In the book, she shared her childhood experiences, including instances of child abuse, and reflected on her political journey. In 2019, her book With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace was published, detailing her tenure as United Nations Ambassador.
What is Nikki Haley’s net worth?
The former South Carolina governor reportedly has a net worth of $8 million. She had a net worth of $1 million when she resigned as Trump’s United Nations ambassador in 2018.8
Net Worth:: $8 Million
Birthdate:: Jan 20, 1972 (52 years old)
Birthplace:: Bamberg
Gender:: Female
Profession:: Politician, Accountant
Nationality:: United States of America
Personal details of Nikki Haley
Born
Nimarata Nikki Randhawa January 20, 1972 (age 52)
Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Spouse
Michael Haley (m. 1996)
Children
2
Education
Clemson University (BS)
Net Worth
$8 million
Husband of Nikki Haley
Michael Haley
Career of Nikki Haley
Outlined below is a condensed summary of Haley’s academic, professional, and political journey:
2021-Present: Lifetime member of the Clemson University Board of Trustees
2021-Present: Founder of Stand for Ameria PAC
2019-2020: Member of the Boeing Board of Directors
2017-2018: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
2011-2017: Governor of South Carolina
2005-2010: Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
2003-2004: Member of the National Association of Women Business Owners
2003: Member of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce
1998: Member of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
1994: Graduated from Clemson University
Nikki Haley campaign contribution History
YEAR
OFFICE
STATUS
CONTRIBUTIONS
EXPENDITURES
2025*
President of the United States
Withdrew convention
$57,217,201
$49,379,861
2014
South Carolina Governor
Won
$8,411,693
N/A**
2010
SC Governor
Won
$3,968,865
N/A**
2008
SC State House
Won
$166,542
N/A**
2006
SC State House
Won
$88,831
N/A**
Who is Nikki Haley?
Nikki Haley, an Indian-American politician, has declared her intention to run in the 2025 US presidential election, where she will compete against former President Donald Trump. She holds the distinction of being the first female governor of South Carolina, the youngest governor in the country, and the second governor of Indian heritage following Bobby Jindal.
Early Life of Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley, originally named Nimrata Nikki Randhawa, was born in Bamberg, South Carolina on January 20, 1972, to Sikh parents Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa. Following her marriage to Michael Haley in 1996, she embraced Christianity. Her father, who was previously a professor at Punjab Agricultural University, received a scholarship offer from the University of British Columbia and subsequently relocated the family to Canada. Upon completing his PhD in 1969, he moved them to South Carolina, where he joined the faculty at Voorhees College, a historically black institution.
Education of Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley graduated with an accounting degree from Clemson University in 1994. Afterward, she became part of her family’s clothing business and later held positions as treasurer and president of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Political Career of Nikki Haley
In 2004, she commenced her political journey by winning a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where she completed three terms. At the conclusion of her third term in 2010, Haley secured the position of governor of South Carolina, becoming the youngest governor in the country at the age of 39. Notably, in 2017, Haley became the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet. From 2017 to 2018, she held the role of United States ambassador to the United Nations.
During her tenure as US Ambassador, she actively advocated for the country’s interests, especially its backing of Israel, at the Security Council. She also confirmed the US’s readiness to employ military action in reaction to further missile trials by North Korea during the 2017–2018 North Korea crisis. Haley chose to resign from her position as Ambassador on December 31, 2018.
Criticism
Nikki Haley, following her declaration to run for the 2025 US Presidential elections, faced derogatory remarks from conservative pundit Ann Coulter, who labeled her as a ‘bimbo’ and ‘preposterous creature’. Coulter also advised Haley to “return to her own country”. Besides the racial slurs, Haley was criticized for asserting that she represented the “new generation” at the age of 51. Prior to her candidacy, former President Trump dismissed her as “overly ambitious”. Subsequently, Trump implied, according to the New York Times, that Haley’s appointment as the UN ambassador during his term was more about his preference for her male lieutenant governor to assume the role of governor.