Sundar Pichai Net Worth (2021): Key Details about Google CEO’s Finances

Sundar Pichai net worth, although unknown in a precise value, is estimated to be around $1.4 billion in 2021.

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It was in 2015 that Sundar Pichai net worth went off the roof after securing the position of Google’s CEO. Read this article to know more about him.

A seasoned business executive and a valued CEO, Sundar Pichai is one of the biggest names in the world of technology. From his humble roots in Chennai to reaching the pinnacle in the Silicon Valley, Pichai has had a fabulous life story. His has been a journey of big aspirations and even bigger determination to fulfill his dreams. After all, who would have imagined even in their wildest dreams that a young boy from a middle-class Indian family would go on to study at premier institutions like IIT, Stanford, Wharton and lead a company like Google?

Pichai’s genius is one of the key reasons for the meteoric success that the world sees today. He was a brilliant scholar right from childhood. Despite receiving his early education from a low-tier government school in Chennai, Pichai exhibited his talent by cracking one of India’s toughest exams of JEE. After getting a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Pichai ventured abroad to pursue his dreams.

He completed a master’s degree at the prestigious Stanford University as a Seibel Scholar. His major was materials science and engineering. After that, he went on to complete an MBA from the famous Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He finished as a Palmer Scholar at Wharton. Having completed his education, he worked with the likes of McKinsey and Company and Google’s software suite.

Key Contributions and Achievements

Sundar Pichai was born in the city of Madurai in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Belonging to a middle-class background, he would have been the most improbable candidate to become the CEO of one of the world’s biggest tech giants. But his intellect and talent played a pivotal role in reshaping his destiny. From a two-bedroom apartment to be one of the highest-paid CEOs worldwide, Sundar Pichai net worth has soared incredibly.

As a young small-town boy, Pichai showed great potential from early on. He was not only good at academics but also showed an inclination towards sports. A lesser-known fact about his schooling is the stint as the captain of the school’s cricket team. He took his team to several victories as well. Even today, Pichai ardently follows India’s cricket team as well as his favorite football club, FC Barcelona.

There was no secret to Pichai’s success in the business technology world. He was able to perform exceptionally for one of the world’s largest tech companies simply through his talent. His elite educational career came in handy to prepare him for the role of Google’s CEO. After loyally serving the tech giant for many years, today Sundar Pichai net worth is at a whole different level!

Educational Finesse

Pichai’s earliest encounters with technology came through his father. His father was an electrical engineer working with a British MNC in Chennai. He also owned and managed a factory that manufactured electrical components. Watching and learning from his father probably ignited his interest in technology. After pursuing a degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT, Kharagpur, Pichai went abroad.

Owing to his intellectual aptitude, the 48-year old got an admit into one of the highest-ranking institutions, Stanford University. He pursued a Master of Science degree in materials science and engineering. With his advanced intellect, Pichai secured the position of Siebel Scholar upon graduation. However, his pursuit of excellence did not stop there. He went on to pursue an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania to refine his skills as a business executive. He outshone several students here with the position of the Palmer Scholar.

Sundar Pichai Net Worth Sources: Building a Career in the Biz World

For an engineer with two degrees from high-end educational institutions, a career as a business executive may have seemed unlikely. However, therein lay Pichai’s destiny. After completing his education career with three degrees, Pichai launched his career in the later 1990s. He worked with the top global companies, Applied Materials McKinsey and Company and Google. At Applied Materials, he was mainly involved in the engineering domain. His expertise lay in the product management department.

After a successful stint at Applied Materials, he joined the team at McKinsey and Company. He played a pivotal role in the management-consulting domain, contributing through his skills from Wharton School of Business. The enriching experience at McKinsey secured him a job at Google in the year 2004.

Rising to Prominence at Google

Sundar Pichai’s first job at Google was similar to his portfolio at McKinsey related to product management. He headed the team of associates in the domain of product management and innovation. He supervised the development of Google’s software products such as Google Chrome and Google Drive. With his success in the development of these key client products, Pichai was given the responsibility for Google Maps and Gmail as well.

After the first demonstration of the Chrome OS in 2009, Google released Chromebook in 2011. It came out for public use after a year of trial and testing. During his work as the product development head at Google, Pichai also launched VP8, a new video codec. Besides, the tech giant also introduced WebM, a new format of video under Pichai’s exemplary supervision.

The year 2013 witnessed a new peak in his career with Sundar Pichai net worth increase significantly. He brought Google’s Android OS under his supervision for further development. He also served as the director for Jive for a span of over two years. Google’s CEO Larry Page appointed Sundar Pichai as the next CEO in 2015 after his immensely successful role as the Product Chief in 2014.

While Pichai was also in the race to be the next Microsoft CEO, the portfolio went to another Indian, Satya Nadella. On the other hand, Pichai earned the post of CEO after the launch of Alphabet, the parent company for all of Google’s companies. His salary has increased exponentially ever since taking up the role of Google’s CEO. Today, Sundar Pichai net worth is one of the highest among all the CEOs in the world.

Key Moments in Life

One of the first highlights of Pichai’s life was getting into the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Admission into one of India’s premier engineering colleges requires one to clear a difficult examination process. Coming from a humble background, it would have seemed difficult for a small-town boy. However, Pichai’s admission into IIT was only the beginning of the numerous successes in his life.

After his undergraduate education, he flew abroad. In a speech after becoming the Google CEO, he explained how his father took a loan and spent his entire year’s income to send Pichai abroad. A young and gifted boy did not let down his father, working hard towards his MS and MBA degrees at leading institutions like Stanford and Wharton.

The 48-year old rose to prominence after successfully demonstrating the Chromebook during his tenure as Product Development Head. He also took over the supervision of the Android OS under one of his many notable accomplishments in this role. Pichai took Google’s Android to a whole new level. Besides, he was also able to handle the clash between Google and Samsung over the latter’s Magazine UX with ultimate techno-diplomatic skills.

In 2014, Larry Page appointed him as the Product Chief. Yet, 2015 was undoubtedly a memorable year with the CEO position falling onto his shoulders. Two years after solidifying his position as the CEO, Pichai found himself at the brunt of controversy. He came under public fire after terminating a staff at Google for bashing the company’s policy towards diversity in a 10-page manifesto. CEO unabashedly defended the company and its work culture.

Sundar Pichai Net Worth: Key Details into Google CEO’s Finances

Pichai has become a legendary icon at Google. Even though the tech giant is famous for its services, Pichai has added a greater identity to the company. Ever since taking up the role of the CEO Sundar Pichai net worth has increased and so has his reputation. Working for Google since 2004, Pichai proved his mettle on several occasions in his career. He started with a few key software products like Chrome and Chromebook. Gradually, he expanded his supervision over Gmail, Maps, and more products.

Pichai’s innovation bagged him in the development of Android OS. His hard work culminated in the position of Product Chief in 2014 when he worked closely with the then CEO, Larry Page. It took only a year for Page to recognize the young and energetic Pichai’s potential for Google. After the formation of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, Page happily passed on the baton to Sundar Pichai. With this, Sundar Pichai net worth tremendously skyrocketed!

His promotion brought in a steep pay hike and deservedly so. This meteoric rise is credited to the unparalleled innovation that the Barcelona fan introduced in the Google ecosystem. He is currently working as the CEO for both Google and its parent company Alphabet. On receiving the promotion to the post, Pichai acquired ownership of Google’s stocks worth $240 million. The stock portfolio was in addition to the $2 million packages of the annual salary. As of 2021, Sundar Pichai net worth, although unknown in a precise value, is estimated to be around $1.4 billion.

Sundar Pichai Net Worth Sources: Pichai’s Earnings from Google

In his first year as the CEO of the tech titan, he added a whopping $100 million amount to Sundar Pichai net worth. This amount nearly doubled in the following year mainly due to the increasing value of Google’s stock points. His salary before promotion totaled to $650,000. It increased generously to $2 million after the promotion to the CEO portfolio.

Today, his stock points total to a worth of $300 million on top of the $2 million annual salaries. He outscores many CEOs in the world’s most premier companies. Only Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has a greater net worth than Sundar Pichai. The PayPal founder is valued at $2.3 billion primarily due to the company’s exceptional stock value. It is also subject to time change.

After taking charge of the dual responsibility of Alphabet and Google, Sundar Pichai net worth has increased further. While handling the operations of two companies, it is natural to get more incentives. Likewise, Pichai’s performance will get more rewards with reference to Alphabet’s stock performance. This is a direct incentive for his work. He can amass up to $90 million from stocks based on the company’s performance in the S&P100 index. This is the first time in history that Google’s stocks are put up for performance-based valuation.

Some Facts about Sundar Pichai

(Source: https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/21-unusual-facts-about-sundar-pichai-google-s-surprise-new-ceo.html)

With this reorganization of Google/Alphabet Inc., Pichai will control: search, ads, maps, the Google Play Store, YouTube, and Android.
In February 2014, Pichai was rumored to be in active negotiations with Microsoft to become that tech giant’s third CEO.
His colleagues tell Bloomberg that Pichai tends to walk it out when he’s deep in thought. It’s not unusual for him to wander away in the middle of a meeting, only to return with the solution to whatever problem is being discussed.
Born in Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, in 1972, Sundar’s full name is Pichai Sundararajan. Though he had a modest upbringing, he’s now worth a reported $150 million.
His father, an electrical engineer, had to save for three years to buy the family a new scooter, but made sure Pichai and his brother had the best education the family could afford, at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan.
Pichai’s father told Bloomberg he believes that talking to young Sundar about the challenges in his work as an electrical engineer led to his son’s interest in technology.