Nikki Haley is a Republican politician from the United States. She is well-known for being South Carolina’s first female governor and the country’s second Indian American governor, following Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. She previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for several years, representing Lexington County.

Quick Facts

Nikki Haley Age, Biography

Nikki Haley was born on January 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina, USA. From her childhood, Haley was known by her middle name, a Punjabi name. Her parents are Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa. Her parents are Sikh immigrants from the Indian state of Punjab. Her nationality is American, and her ethnicity is American-Asian.

Her father used to be a professor at Punjab Agricultural University, and her mother used to run her own shop. Her mother graduated from the University of Delhi with a law degree. Her parents relocated to Canada after her father was offered a scholarship at the University of British Columbia. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1969, her father relocated his family to South Carolina to work as a professor at Voorhees College, a historically black institution. Her mother later earned a master’s degree in education and taught for seven years in public schools in Bamberg. Exotica International, a popular clothing boutique, was founded by her in 1976. It was decommissioned in 2008.

She is the youngest of three siblings. Simran, her Canadian-born sister, is a radio host and Fashion Institute of Technology alumna. Her first brother, Mitti, retired from the United States Army Chemical Corps after serving in Desert Storm, and her second brother, Charan, works as a web designer. As a child, she began assisting her mother at the shop.

Her early work experience shaped her into an extremely watchful individual, a trait that would serve her well in her future political career. She attended Orangeburg Preparatory Schools before enrolling at Clemson University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting.