Larry Page: The Google Co-Founder
When it comes to tech innovators, few have achieved the level of recognition and respect that Larry Page, Google co-founder and CEO of Alphabet, has earned. As one of the most influential minds of our generation, Page has seen his vision, creativity and leadership bring Google from a small start-up to the world-renowned tech giant it is today. From his upbringing to his many accomplishments, here’s an in-depth look at the life and career of Larry Page: the Google Co-Founder.
Early Life
Larry Page was born in 1973 in Michigan, the son of two computer science professors. His father was a pioneer in computer programming and artificial intelligence, while his mother was a pioneering computer expert and active in early computer programming classes for women.
This early exposure to computer systems and software gave Page the foundation he needed to become a tech innovator. In high school, he built his own inkjet printer. He later attended the University of Michigan and earned two bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and computer science.
Co-Founding Google
After completing his studies at Michigan, Page pursued a Ph.D. in computer science at Stanford University. While there, he met Sergey Brin, a fellow graduate student. Together, the two formed Google in 1998.
The pair developed a revolutionary algorithm for finding and ranking webpages, called PageRank. The algorithm addressed the challenges of webpages rapidly multiplying, making web searches more complicated.
The success of Page and Brin’s algorithm and Google’s popularity led them to incorporate the company in 1998. The following year, they moved to Mountain View, California, and officially became Google Inc.
Early Years at Google
With Google a success, Page and Brin hired more employees and developed more services, including paid search advertising and images, video and news search. As part of the growing company, Page served as CEO up until 2001, when he stepped down and Eric Schmidt took on the role.
During this time, Page also implemented the Google 20 Percent project, which gave employees the freedom to work on projects they were passionate about — up to one day a week. This project was instrumental in bringing products such as Google News, Google Earth and orkut to life.
Google’s Growth and Leadership Under Larry Page
In 2011, Page stepped back in as CEO of Google. He focused on streamlining and simplifying the product line, such as replacing Google Labs and other services with Google+. To reflect the company’s changing nature, in 2015 he changed Google’s name to Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
Under Page’s direction, Alphabet has become a global leader in tech, investing in projects across the world such as healthcare, self-driving cars, and the artificial intelligence company Deep Mind. He also led the development of Google’s successful Android platform, which revolutionized mobile technology.
Other Achievements
In addition to leading one of the most important tech companies in the world, Page has been awarded several honors. He was named the 2006 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and Has been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the first tech CEO to receive the honor.
In addition, Page and two other Google executives were named among world’s 50 greatest leaders by Fortune in 2014. He has also been included in Bloomberg’s lists of world’s most influential people in 2008, Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders for 2015, and Time’s list of 100 most influential people in 2013.
A Philanthropist at Heart
Page’s passion for giving back extends beyond the boundaries of Google. Page and Brin have donated millions to various charities and educational purposes. In 2014, they donated 18 million Alphabet shares to charity, totaling $7.2 billion. The two created The Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation in 2006, in honor of Page’s father, to encourage entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The foundation has awarded over $15 million in grants to various causes.
From his childhood experiences to his current successes, Larry Page has been a driving force behind the growth and success of Google and Alphabet. With his inspiring vision and passion for giving back, Page has demonstrated that it is possible to have an incredibly successful career, while contributing to the global good.
