Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American businessman, computer scientist, and engineer, best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page served as CEO of Google from its inception in 1997 until August 2001, when he stepped down in favor of Eric Schmidt. He returned to the role from April 2011 until July 2015, when Google restructured into Alphabet Inc., at which point Page became CEO of the new parent company. He continued to serve as CEO of Alphabet until December 4, 2019, when he and Brin resigned from their executive positions. Page remains a controlling shareholder, employee, and board member of Alphabet.
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| Born | Lawrence Edward Page March 26, 1973 |
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| Spouse | Lucinda Southworth (m.2007 |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Carrie Southworth (sister-in-law) |
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As of December 2024, Page's estimated net worth is $175 billion, making him the sixth-richest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $162.2 billion according to Forbes. He has also invested in flying car startups Opener and Kitty Hawk. Page, along with Brin, co-created PageRank, the search ranking algorithm that revolutionized Google’s search engine and earned them the 2004 Marconi Prize.
Early Life
Larry Page was born on March 26, 1973, in Lansing, Michigan. His mother, Gloria, is Jewish, and his father, Carl Victor Page Sr., a computer science pioneer and professor, is Protestant. Despite growing up in a secular home, Page was immersed in an environment rich in technology, with his father’s expertise and his mother’s work as a computer programming instructor at Michigan State University. Page's childhood home was filled with computers, science and technology magazines, fostering his creativity and interest in innovation.
From a young age, Page developed an affinity for computers, and by six, he was experimenting with early personal computers. He was the first in his elementary school to turn in assignments using a word processor. Page was also encouraged to take things apart by his older brother and quickly began to understand the inner workings of various devices. He recognized early on that he had a strong desire to invent and pursue a career in technology and business.
Education
Page attended Okemos Montessori School in Michigan from ages 2 to 7 and later graduated from East Lansing High School in 1991. He spent two summers at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, primarily playing the saxophone. In 1995, Page graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering. During his time there, he developed an inkjet printer using Lego bricks, showcasing his early creativity and engineering skills.
Page went on to pursue a Master of Science in computer science at Stanford University, graduating in 1998. While at Stanford, he devised a concept for a personal rapid-transit system, a driverless monorail, to replace the university's bus system. He also drafted a business plan for a software company that would develop a music synthesizer.
PhD Studies and Research
After enrolling in Stanford’s PhD program in computer science, Page considered a dissertation topic focusing on the mathematical properties of the World Wide Web, specifically its link structure. His advisor, Terry Winograd, encouraged him to explore this idea further. During this time, Page was also interested in researching self-driving cars and telepresence.
Page’s exploration of the Web’s link structure led to the development of the "BackRub" project, which analyzed the connections between websites to measure their importance. This research would later evolve into the PageRank algorithm, which became the foundation for Google’s search engine. Sergey Brin, a fellow PhD student, joined Page’s research, and together they co-authored the influential paper The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine, which became one of the most downloaded papers in Internet history.
PageRank relied on the principle that links between websites functioned similarly to citations in academic papers, providing a measure of the importance of a page based on the quantity and quality of backlinks. As the project grew, Page and Brin began to work on creating a search engine that could utilize this algorithm to deliver more accurate and relevant search results.
Google and the Birth of PageRank
Page and Brin's work led to the creation of Google, which officially launched in 1998. Google’s success was largely driven by the PageRank algorithm, which enabled it to rank search results more effectively than other search engines of the time. As the project grew, the pair faced the challenge of building the necessary computing infrastructure, often repurposing parts from other computers. Google's search engine quickly gained popularity, and by 1997, it was serving thousands of searches per day.
Google (1998–2000)
Founding
In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google, Inc., a company that would eventually revolutionize the internet search industry. The duo, seeking funding from family, friends, and faculty members, scraped together enough resources to buy servers and rent a garage in Menlo Park, California, where they began building their search engine. Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim wrote a $100,000 check to "Google, Inc."—but at the time, the company was not yet officially incorporated. This led to a brief delay in depositing the check as the company worked through the necessary paperwork.
The name "Google" was derived from "Googol," a mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, symbolizing the vast amount of information the search engine aimed to organize. Initially, the company operated out of a garage rented from their friend Susan Wojcicki for $1,700 a month. Page served as the CEO, while Brin took on the role of president. Their mission was to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."
With a $1-million loan from friends and family, Google’s first official office was established in Mountain View by the start of 2000. Page's desire to optimize the company's infrastructure led to experiments with smaller servers, which allowed Google to run faster than its competitors. By June 2000, Google had indexed one billion URLs, making it the largest and most efficient search engine of its time.
Early Management Style
During his early tenure as CEO, Page adopted an unorthodox management style that included a controversial attempt to fire all of Google's project managers in 2001. His vision was for all engineers to report directly to a VP of engineering, who would then report to him. Page believed that engineers should not be managed by non-engineers, as they lacked the technical expertise to supervise effectively. He outlined his management principles, emphasizing a hands-on approach, direct involvement, and a focus on ideas rather than seniority. Page also advocated for speed, focusing on reducing lag times and keeping Google’s interface simple and quick to load.
Despite some backlash from employees, Page’s insistence on technical proficiency in leadership roles gained traction, and his push for speed helped maintain Google’s reputation for fast search results.
Google (2001–2011)
Changes in Management and Expansion
In 2001, major investors Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital pressured Page to step down as CEO to allow a more experienced leader to guide the company through its expansion. After consulting with other tech CEOs, including Steve Jobs and Intel’s Andrew Grove, Page agreed to relinquish the CEO position. Eric Schmidt was hired as CEO in August 2001, while Page became president of products. Although Schmidt took on the day-to-day leadership, Page retained significant influence, including having the final say on all new hires.
Under Schmidt’s leadership, Google experienced tremendous growth. This period saw the company’s initial public offering (IPO) on August 20, 2004, making Page a billionaire at the age of 30. Page was also instrumental in acquiring Android in 2005 for $50 million, a move aimed at making Google ubiquitous on mobile devices. The acquisition was a success, as Android eventually became the world’s most popular mobile operating system, surpassing Apple’s iOS by 2010.
Assumption of CEO Position at Google
In January 2011, Page officially returned to the role of CEO of Google, with Schmidt transitioning to the position of executive chairman. By this time, Google had over 24,000 employees and a market capitalization of over $180 billion. Despite being largely absent from the day-to-day operations during Schmidt’s tenure, Page remained a powerful figure within Google, particularly in product development and strategic decisions.
Page’s second stint as CEO marked a shift in management style. He emphasized greater autonomy for division leaders and sought to foster more collaboration among teams. To facilitate this, Page established the “L-Team,” a group of senior vice presidents who worked closely with him. He also reorganized the company’s senior management and implemented a new "zero tolerance for fighting" policy, which promoted unity and teamwork across the organization. Under Page’s leadership, Google underwent a consolidation of its products and services, giving them a more unified and aesthetically cohesive design.
Between 2013 and 2015, Larry Page's leadership at Google continued to evolve as he spearheaded both product innovation and significant organizational restructuring.
Key Developments:
10X Mentality & Focus on Innovation (2013): Page emphasized a 10X mentality within Google, urging employees to create products and services that were at least 10 times better than competitors. He reflected on the success of YouTube and Android as examples of "crazy" ideas that defied conventional wisdom and ultimately succeeded.
Launch of Calico (2013): In September 2013, Page launched Calico, a biotech initiative focused on health and aging. The project aimed at tackling issues like illness and aging through innovative technologies.
Management Restructure (2014): In October 2014, Page reorganized Google's leadership structure to shift away from day-to-day operations and focus on more ambitious, long-term projects. Sundar Pichai took over the product-focused roles while Page and Sergey Brin focused on projects such as Google X, Google Fiber, and Nest Labs.
Creation of Alphabet (2015): In 2015, Page announced that Google would reorganize into a new parent company, Alphabet Inc., with Page becoming CEO of Alphabet. Google became one of the company's subsidiaries, enabling more independent management for various ventures. This shift allowed for more focus on non-core business areas while maintaining the essence of Google's core search and advertising business.
Personal Interests and Philanthropy: Page also invested in various technology ventures, including Tesla Motors, and contributed to research into alternative energy and artificial intelligence. In addition, he donated substantial sums to fight the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and contributed to medical research for vocal cord issues that affected him personally.
Personal Life and Recognition:
- Marriage & Family: Page married Lucinda Southworth in 2007, and they have two children.
- Property & Lifestyle: Page invested in a significant eco-friendly home in Palo Alto and bought the superyacht Senses. He also acquired several private islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific.
- Health: Page has dealt with vocal cord issues and made significant donations for related medical research.
During this period, Page's focus increasingly turned towards visionary projects and away from routine operations at Google, paving the way for a new era under Alphabet.
References
- Bilton, N. (2019) ‘Larry hates being CEO’: With page and Brin Out, google and alphabet put away childish things, Vanity Fair. Available at: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/12/larry-page-hates-being-ceo-sergey-brin-leave-alphabet-google (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
- Elik, A. (no date) Transparent signatures CEO - firma de Larry Page, HD PNG download - kindpng, KindPNG.com. Available at: https://www.kindpng.com/imgv/iobJmxi_transparent-signatures-ceo-firma-de-larry-page-hd/ (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
- Ellis, C. (2023) What companies does Larry Page Own?, THE ORG. Available at: https://theorg.com/iterate/what-companies-does-larry-page-own (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
- Langley, H. (no date) Sources say google billionaire Larry Page has sold his $45 million superyacht, Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cofounder-larry-page-sold-superyacht-senses-fiji-yacht-billionaire-2021-7 (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
- Who is Larry Page? everything you need to know (no date) Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline. Available at: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/larry-page-3344.php (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
- Larry Page (no date) Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/profile/larry-page/ (Accessed: 03 January 2025).
