Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sergey Mikhailovich Brin August 21, 1973 Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Occupation(s) | Computer scientist, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Co-founder of Google and Alphabet Inc. |
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin (; born August 21, 1973) is a prominent American computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-established Google alongside Larry Page. He held the position of president at Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., until his resignation on December 3, 2019. Both Brin and Page continue to serve as co-founders, controlling shareholders, and members of Alphabet's board. As of June 2025, Brin is ranked as the tenth wealthiest individual worldwide, with an estimated net worth of $149 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and $141.5 billion as reported by Forbes, positioning him as the eighth richest globally.
Brin emigrated from the Soviet Union to the United States when he was six years old. He pursued a bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, following the academic paths of his father and grandfather in mathematics and computer science. In 1993, he commenced doctoral studies in computer science at Stanford University, where he met Larry Page. Together, they created a web search engine that quickly gained traction on campus. Brin eventually paused his PhD program to co-found Google in a garage owned by Susan Wojcicki in Menlo Park, California.
In December 2023, Brin emerged from retirement to lead Alphabet Inc. into the new era of Artificial General Intelligence, reacting to market developments after the debut of ChatGPT.
Early life and education
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin was born on August 21, 1973, in Moscow, Soviet Union, to Russian Jewish parents Mikhail and Eugenia Brin, both alumni of Moscow State University. His father was a mathematics professor at the University of Maryland, while his mother conducted research at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The family resided in a modest apartment in Moscow alongside Sergey's grandmother. In 1977, due to escalating anti-Semitic sentiment, Mikhail Brin opted to emigrate. After applying for an exit visa in 1978, Mikhail lost his job and Eugenia was also dismissed from hers. The family endured eight months without stable income before finally obtaining visas in May 1979.
The Brins temporarily stayed in Vienna and Paris while Mikhail secured a teaching position at the University of Maryland. With assistance from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, they arrived in the United States on October 25, 1979.
Sergey attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Maryland. By 1990, he enrolled at the University of Maryland where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science with honors and high honors in mathematics by age nineteen. In 1993, he completed an internship at Wolfram Research.
Brin began graduate studies at Stanford University supported by a National Science Foundation fellowship and obtained a Master of Science degree in computer science in 1995. As of 2008, he was on leave from his doctoral program at Stanford.
Search engine development
During a Stanford orientation event, Sergey Brin encountered Larry Page. Although their initial interaction involved disagreements, they soon developed a strong collaborative partnership. Brin concentrated on data mining technologies while Page focused on deducing the significance of academic papers through citation analysis. Together, they co-authored "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine".
To evaluate webpage relevance, they created the PageRank algorithm which powered a search engine superior to existing models by examining backlinks and their quality. Utilizing spare computer components, they connected their search engine to Stanford's broadband network from Page’s dormitory room.
Brin’s dormitory served as the programming hub where they refined their system designs. The project’s rapid expansion placed considerable demand on Stanford’s computing resources. Employing fundamental HTML knowledge, they launched a basic search interface and assembled computing capacity from available hardware parts. By August 1996, their initial version of Google was accessible on Stanford’s website.
By early 1997, BackRub indexed more than 75 million HTML URLs and had downloaded approximately 207 gigabytes of data. It operated on multiple Sun Ultras and Intel Pentium machines running Linux and was supported by key collaborators including Scott Hassan and Alan Steremberg. BackRub already provided ranked backlink queries demonstrating effective search functionality. By mid-1998, daily search volumes reached around 10,000 queries, confirming its viability.
Some observers compared Page and Brin’s breakthrough to Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press for revolutionizing information accessibility. The Google Story emphasized that since Gutenberg’s time no innovation had empowered individuals or transformed access to knowledge as profoundly as Google did. Shortly after creating their search engine, they explored opportunities beyond web search including book digitization and improving health information availability.
Other ventures
In June 2008, Brin contributed $4.5 million to Space Adventures, a space tourism enterprise headquartered in Virginia.
Brin and Page co-own a specially outfitted Boeing 767–200 along with a Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet. They incur an annual cost of $1.3 million to store these aircraft, together with two Gulfstream V jets owned by other Google executives, at Moffett Federal Airfield. The Boeing 767 is fitted with scientific instruments installed by NASA for conducting experimental research during flight.
Additionally, Brin invests in LTA Research & Exploration LLC, a company specializing in airship production. In October 2023, LTA's flagship vessel, Pathfinder 1, measuring 124 meters, became the largest airship since the Hindenburg to obtain FAA approval for flight testing above the airspaces of Moffett Federal Airfield and nearby Palo Alto Airport, reaching altitudes up to 460 meters.
Personal life
Brin was brought up in a Jewish family but does not practice the religion.
In May 2007, he married biotech entrepreneur and analyst Anne Wojcicki in the Bahamas. The couple welcomed a son in late 2008 followed by a daughter in late 2011. They separated in August 2013 after Brin engaged in an extramarital relationship with a colleague involved with Google Glass. Their divorce was finalized in June 2015.
On November 7, 2018, Brin wed Nicole Shanahan, founder of a legal tech company. They have a daughter born in late 2018. The couple separated in December 2021, with Brin filing for divorce in January 2022; the divorce was completed by summer 2023. Reports indicated that Shanahan’s brief affair with Elon Musk in 2021 contributed to their separation.
Brin’s mother, Eugenia, suffers from Parkinson's disease. In 2008, he made donations to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she was treated. According to Forbes, Brin has contributed over $1 billion toward Parkinson’s disease research.
Together with Wojcicki, Brin managed The Brin Wojcicki Foundation until 2014. Since then, his philanthropic efforts have been channeled through the Sergey Brin Family Foundation and donor-advised funds. Their charitable giving has included substantial support for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and a $1 million donation to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in 2009.
Brin is politically active as a supporter of Democratic candidates and causes, having donated $5,000 to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and $30,800 to the DNC. He also attended the second inauguration of Donald Trump, sitting among Trump supporters and other technology industry leaders.
2002–2009
- In 2002, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were recognized in the MIT Technology Review TR100 list as leading innovators below the age of 35.
- The following year, both were awarded honorary MBAs from IE Business School in acknowledgment of their entrepreneurial achievements.
- That same year, they advanced to become National Finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
- In 2004, they earned the prestigious Marconi Prize and were named Fellows of the Marconi Foundation for their transformative contributions to information retrieval technology.
- Also in 2004, Brin and Page received the Golden Plate Award.
- Sergey Brin was honored in 2006 with the first-ever Great Immigrants Award presented by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Since 2009
- In November 2009, Forbes placed Brin and Page fifth on its list of the world's most influential individuals.
- Earlier that year, Brin was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his pioneering work in fast indexing and web data retrieval.
- The National Science Foundation has acknowledged several prior honors, such as Google's innovation award from PC Magazine in 1999, a Webby Award received in 2000, and multiple accolades from Search Engine Watch during 2001–2002 for excellence in search engine service and design.
- As of September 2024, Bloomberg estimates Sergey Brin’s net worth at approximately $135 billion, ranking him as the tenth wealthiest person globally.
Film appearances
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Internship | Himself (cameo) |