Larry Page
Who Is Larry Page?
Born in Michigan in 1973, Larry Page's parents were both computer experts. Following in their footsteps, he studied computer engineering at Stanford University, where he met Sergey Brin. The duo developed a search engine that listed results according to the popularity of the pages and, with Page as CEO, Google became the world's most popular search engine after launching in 1998. Page and Brin later took charge of Google's new parent company, Alphabet, until stepping down from their everyday roles in late 2019.
 |
Early Life and Education:
Lawrence Page was born on March 26, 1973, in East Lansing, Michigan. His father, Carl Page, was a pioneer in computer science and artificial intelligence, and his mother taught computer programming. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, Page decided to concentrate on computer engineering for graduate school at Stanford University, where he met Brin.
Creating Google With Sergey Brin:
As a research project at Stanford University, Page and Brin created a search engine that listed results according to the popularity of the pages, after concluding that the most popular result would often be the most useful. They called the search engine "Google" after the mathematical term "googol," which refers to the No. 1 followed by 100 zeros, to reflect their mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web.
After raising $1 million from family, friends and other investors, the pair launched the company in 1998. Google has since become the world's most popular search engine, receiving an average of 5.9 billion searches per day in 2013. Headquartered in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, Google held its initial public offering in August 2004, making Page and Brin billionaires.
Evolving Conglomerate:
In 2006, Google purchased the most popular website for user-submitted streaming videos, YouTube, for $1.65 billion in stock.
In September 2013, Page was ranked No. 13 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America. That October, he was ranked No. 17 on Forbes' 2013 "Most Powerful People" list. As Google's CEO, Page shared responsibility for the company's operations with Brin, who served as director of special projects for Google, and Eric Schmidt, the company's executive chairman.
In 2015, Page and Brin announced the creation of a new parent company called Alphabet to oversee Google and other subsidiaries. Page and Brin became Alphabet's CEO and president, respectively, with Sundar Pichai stepping in as Google's top executive.
Diminishing Presence and Company Exit:
The restructuring gave Page and Brin the opportunity to step away from day-to-day operations of the company they founded, and the CEO was noticeably absent from Alphabet's meetings and quarterly earnings calls. In 2018, Page declined to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of hearings into the use of Big Tech to meddle in foreign elections, and he came under scrutiny for giving a $90 million exit package to a former senior executive accused of sexual misconduct.
On December 3, 2019, Page and Brin announced that they were stepping down from their roles as CEO and president of Alphabet, handing the reins to Pichai. However, the duo were expected to retain their influence over the company's direction as Alphabet's largest individual shareholders.
Autonomous Air Taxi:
In March 2018, it was announced that a company personally funded by Page, called Kitty Hawk, had reached an agreement with officials in New Zealand to begin the certification process on a fully electric, self-piloting flying taxi.
Kitty Hawk had been testing its aircraft, nicknamed Cora, over New Zealand since the previous October. With Boeing, Airbus and Uber among the companies looking to break ground in the burgeoning air taxi industry, Kitty Hawk is aiming to have a commercial network of vehicles up and running by 2021.
Personal Life:
Page has been married to research scientist Lucinda Southworth since 2007. The couple has two children.
Important Facts of Larry Page:
- Larry Page stepped down as CEO of Alphabet, the parent of Google, in December 2019 but remains a board member and a controlling shareholder.
- He cofounded Google in 1998 with fellow Stanford Ph.D. student Sergey Brin.
- With Brin, Page invented Google's PageRank algorithm, which powers the search engine.
- Page was CEO until 2001, when Eric Schmidt took over, and then from 2011 until 2015, when he became CEO of Google's new parent company Alphabet.
- He is a founding investor in space exploration company Planetary Resources and is also funding "flying car" startups Kitty Hawk and Opener.
At Stanford University, Larry Page and his college mate Sergey Brin started working on a search engine prototype for their research project; they named it “BackRub”. The idea was to explore the connecting links between web pages and determine a page’s authority. The following year, Page and Brin’s creation began to explore the web. The Stanford home page was the initial target for the search engine. In 1998, the duo incorporated their venture and set up shop in a garage.
Every startup requires some backing, and so did Page’s startup needed some investors. Andy Bechtolsheim, a member of Sun Microsystems' founding group, was the first investor. Around 100,000 USD was invested in BackRub. After a series of modifications, Google Inc was established on September 7, 1998. They hired Craig Silverstein as their first employee, who became the director of the technology. By the end of 1999, Google was serving around 500,000 queries per day. Soon, the company shifted from a garage to a brand new mega office headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Major Achievements
Because of his accomplishments and Google’s success, Page has received variouic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow, published by MIT’s Technology Review publications.
Google's Umbrella
Google has broken records over the last 10-15 years. As the user base increased, Google introduced new products in the market. Here are some major assets Google has built over the years under the leadership of Larry Page and Sergey Brin:
Ad Sense
This is a self-serving advertising system platform that gives different websites a fully automated way to make money. This accounts for nearly 30% of Google’s revenue.
Maps
Google introduced Google Maps to make navigation a breeze. Right now, Google
Maps is the most trustworthy source for travelers and wanderlust.
Gmail
This is a popular e-mail platform. It is useful for availing other important Google services like YouTube, Google Chat, and contacts. Gmail is known for being user-friendly
Android
In 2005, Google took over the Android platform. Android phones dominate the market because of the customizability it offers.
YouTube
Google has played a significant role in making YouTube the most popular video streaming website.
iPhone Search
Apple’s partnership with Google is a major source of revenue for the search engine. The large number of iPhone users ensures Google is used by many as the default search website.
Chrome
Google’s browser, Google Chrome, is the one of the most widely loved browsers in the world.
Conclusion
Larry Page’s contribution to the development of the Internet sector is priceless. His hard work and well-planned strategies in collaboration with Sergey Brin have turned Google into a major brand. And without Google, our living wouldn’t have been as comfortable and easy as it is
0 Comments