From sleeping on the floor to tech billionaire: Google CEO Sundar Pichai is a force to be reckoned with!

It¡¯s always heartening to see people coming from humble backgrounds and making it so big that millions of people look up to them. Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is one such person that inspires not just Indians but people across the globe.

Pichai, who turns 52 today, was born in Tamil Nadu¡¯s Madurai in 1972. Talking about his childhood in Madurai, he said in an interview, ¡°We would sleep on the living room floor. There was a drought when I was growing up, and we had anxiety. Even now, I can never sleep without a bottle of water beside my bed. There was a simplicity to my life, which was very nice compared with today's world.¡±

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Humble beginnings to tech titan: Sundar Pichai's journey from Tamil Nadu to USA

Despite the tight quarters, his father, who worked as an electrical engineer at the British multinational GEC, prioritized their education. Pichai exhibited a keen interest in technology from a young age and possessed an exceptional memory, particularly for telephone numbers.

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Talking about his parents, Sundar Pichai recently reflected, ¡°I perceived our lives through the arrival of gadgets. We waited five years for a telephone, it was a rotary phone. But when it came to our home, it changed our lives. I remember getting our first television and suddenly being able to watch sports.¡±

Coming from a modest background, he still thrived and earned his degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur.

After completing his undergraduate studies, he relocated to the United States to undertake a Master's degree at Stanford University. Pichai earned a scholarship to pursue his studies at Stanford University, where he obtained a Master of Science degree in engineering and materials science in 1995.

Subsequently, he earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received recognition as a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.

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Sundar Pichai joined Google in 2004 and the rest as they say is history!

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Following a short stint at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., Sundar Pichai became a part of Google in 2004. Upon joining, he took on leadership roles in product management and innovation, overseeing various client software products including Chrome, Chrome OS, and reportedly Google Drive. His tenure culminated in his appointment as CEO of the company in 2015. Before joining Google, Sundar Pichai managed the innovation and product management teams for several of the company's client software products, notably Chrome and Chrome OS. He was also reportedly responsible for overseeing Google Drive.

Sundar Pichai's Net worth

As of January 17, 2024, Sundar Pichai's estimated net worth is a remarkable $1.66 billion (Rs 13,859 crore approx). His wealth primarily comes from his positions as the CEO and Director at Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, according to ET sources. Sundar Pichai's primary source of income is his compensation package from Alphabet Inc., which includes salary, bonuses, stock options, and other incentives. In 2022, he earned an impressive $226 million (Rs 1,887 crore), placing him among the highest-paid CEOs worldwide. Additionally, Pichai owns over 88,693 shares in Alphabet Inc., significantly contributing to his net worth. Aside from his compensation, Pichai benefits from earnings related to his Google stock holdings. Since joining Google in 2004, he has accumulated substantial company stock, which has appreciated alongside Google's growth. Recent reports suggest that his stock holdings have generated over $200 million in earnings.