She was born into an Indian Sikh family in Bamberg, South Carolina, United States. |
At 5 years old, she and her sister were disqualified from the Little Miss Bamberg pageant for not fitting into "white" or "black" categories. |
Her family affectionately nicknamed her “Nikki,” meaning “little one.” |
She began her first job at the age of 13, managing the accounts of her family’s clothing store. |
She played a pivotal role in the success of her family's clothing business, Exotica International. |
After graduating college, she worked as an accountant at a recycling company. |
She transitioned from Sikhism to Christianity and participates in Sikh events. |
In 2010, she became the first and youngest elected governor of South Carolina, winning re-election with the largest victory margin in 24 years. |
Nikki Haley is the first Indian-American governor of South Carolina and the second in American history. |
She is associated with the Tea Party Movement. |
After the Paris terrorist attack, she was among several governors who opposed welcoming Syrian refugees into their states. |
In 2012, she authored a memoir titled "Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story." |
She called for the removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from the South Carolina Statehouse in 2015. |
In 2018, she stepped down from her position as the United States ambassador to the United Nations. |
During a presidential debate in Miami on November 8, 2023, she engaged in a contentious exchange with opponent Vivek Ramaswamy regarding TikTok usage and foreign policy, both trading sharp criticisms. |
On February 24, 2024, she lost the South Carolina Republican Primary to Donald Trump. |