Zain Nadella, Son of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Passes Away at Age 26

File image of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

(Photo: PTI)

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and his wife Anu lost their son Zain Nadella on Monday, 28 February, the company said in a statement.

The message asked executives to hold the family in their thoughts and prayers while giving them space to grieve privately, Bloomberg reported.

Zain Nadella was 26 years old, and was born with cerebral palsy.

Nadella, who had taken on the role of the CEO in 2014 after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, has focused on designing products to better serve users with disabilities.

In a blog post written in 2017, the Microsoft chief had shared his experience of his son's birth and upbringing, and how it had impacted him.

"Becoming a father of a son with special needs was the turning point in my life that has shaped who I am today. It has helped me better understand the journey of people with disabilities. It has shaped my personal passion for and philosophy of connecting new ideas to empathy for others. And it is why I am deeply committed to pushing the bounds on what love and compassion combined with human ingenuity and passion to have impact can accomplish with my colleagues at Microsoft."

Satya Nadella, in 2017

“Zain will be remembered for his eclectic taste in music, his bright sunny smile and the immense joy he brought to his family and all those who loved him,” Jeff Sperring, CEO of Children’s Hospital where Nadella's son had received most of his treatment, wrote in a message, Bloomberg reported.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)