Late-night worker, loving son: Indian-origin Microsoft engineer found dead in Silicon Valley

Pratik Pandey, a 35-year-old software engineer at Microsoft, was found dead at the company’s Mountain View office in the early hours of August 20. Authorities say there are no signs of foul play, though the cause of death remains under investigation.

According to Bloomberg, Pandey badged into the office on the evening of August 19 and was discovered inside the building hours later. Police responded around 2 a.m. and confirmed the case is not being treated as a criminal investigation. The Santa Clara County medical examiner is still determining the official cause.

Pandey, described by loved ones as “a joyful soul with a radiant smile” who loved soccer, was known to often work late nights, a family member told Bloomberg. He joined Microsoft in 2020 and was part of the team behind Fabric, the company’s data analysis platform that competes with Snowflake. He reported to Microsoft’s cloud and AI chief Scott Guthrie.

Before his Microsoft tenure, Pandey worked at Walmart Inc. and Apple Inc. He was an alumnus of San Jose State University.

As news of his death spread, friends and colleagues shared tributes on social media, remembering him as a talented engineer and devoted friend. His family and community members are working to bring his body back to India, where his parents live. Microsoft has not yet issued a public statement and said its internal investigation is ongoing.