Inside the career rise of Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO being paid hundreds of millions to pave the way towards an 'AI-first' company

Aaron MokJan 12, 2024, 23:45 IST

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, is one of Tech's highest-paid execs.Associated Press

Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, is one of the world's highest-paid executives, earning $226 million in 2022.
Pichai has been at Google since 2004 and rose through the ranks, becoming its CEO in 2015 and taking the helm of Alphabet in 2019.

Sundar Pichai has had a meteoric rise since joining Google as a 31-year-old product manager in 2004.

In the 11 years that followed his first steps on the Googleplex, Pichai was promoted four times, eventually becoming the CEO of Google in 2015.

In that role, he was responsible for the company's core businesses and cash cow — and did a good enough job that, in December 2019, he was promoted one more time, replacing Google cofounder Larry Page as the CEO Alphabet.

Since, he has had to lead the trillion-dollar company through the pandemic, layoffs, and the AI renaissance currently taking Silicon Valley by storm.

So who is Pichai and how did he scale the ranks to get one of the most important jobs at one of the most important companies in the world? Here's his story.

Jillian D'Onfro, Avery Hartmans, and Mary Meisenzahl contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Pichai, whose full name is actually Pichai Sundararajan, grew up in Chennai, India.

Students in Chennai, where Pichai grew up.Babu Babu/Reuters

After becoming interested in computers — the first software program he wrote was a chess game — Pichai studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. His success there won him a scholarship to Stanford University.

Pichai got his master's degree at Stanford University.Ben Margot/AP

After becoming interested in computers — the first software program he wrote was a chess game — Pichai studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. His success there won him a scholarship to Stanford University.

When Pichai got to America in 1993, he couldn't believe how expensive everything was.

Pichai with his wife Anjali.Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Pichai earned a master's degree from Stanford, and later attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for his MBA.

Pichai got his MBA at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.Charles Mostoller/Reuters

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex on April Fools' Day in 2004 — the same day the company launched Gmail.

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex in 2004.Justin Sullivan/Getty

Pichai got his start working as a VP of product management, focused on Google's Toolbar.

The Toolbar, which Pichai worked on when he started in 2004.The Way Back Machine

Another early achievement for Pichai: he convinced cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin that Google should build its own browser.

Google Chrome was created after Pichai pushed the company's cofounders on a Google web browser.Stephen Lam/Reuters

As a leader, Pichai was known to be well-liked and focused on results, which resulted in more responsibility.

Pichai is known for bringing a "substance over overt style" attitude to Google.Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

His success garnered attention, and he was reportedly approached for a leadership role at Twitter.

Pichai's ascent at Google reportedly led Twitter to attempt to poach him for a leadership role.Adnan Abidi/Reuters

As he rose through the ranks, he was considered the right-hand man of Google cofounder and former CEO Larry Page.

Pichai and Page worked closely together at Google.Getty

That knack and his success led to Pichai's next important promotion in late 2014, when Page put him in charge of the company's core products.

Pichai oversaw products like Google+, Maps, and Search, to name a few.Getty / Steve Jennings

Less than a year later, he was named CEO of Google.

Pichai, who became CEO of Google in 2015, is well-liked among the company's employees.AP

In July 2017, Pichai was named to Alphabet's board of directors.

Pichai joined Google parent company's board of directors/Stephen Lam/Reuters

Two years later came his final promotion, when Alphabet's CEO, Page, and president, Brin, announced that were stepping down, and Pichai would become Alphabet CEO.

Larry Page, left, and Sergey Brin, right, stepped back from Google in 2019.James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images

He's well-compensated for his work.

The Alphabet CEO earns nine-figures annually.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

But the top job also comes with increased public scrutiny.

Pichai has testified in front of the US government multiple times over.Alex Wong/Getty Images

Google dealt with internal turmoil when it fired one of its top AI ethicists.

AI researcher Timnit Gebru (left) was fired from Google.Kimberly White/Getty Images/Denis Balibouse/Reuters

In 2020, Pichai was at the forefront of Google's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pichai led Google's COVID-19 efforts in 2020.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Late last year, Pichai had to oversee an era of cost-cutting at the company, which resulted in layoffs in January.

In January, Google laid off 12,000 employees in an effort to cut costs.Justin Sullivan /Getty Images

Pichai has also led Google in the AI arms race that's overtaken Silicon Valley.

In 2016, Pichai said that Google will one day become an "AI-first" company.Getty Images

One result of Google's AI effort is the chatbot Bard.

A demonstration of Bard, Google's AI chatbot.Google

Now, Pichai is shifting Google's focus to integrating AI into its other products.

CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at the 2023 Google I/O conference.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

When Pichai isn't spending his team leading Google, the CEO meets with influential world leaders.

Pichai met with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the 2022 CEO Summit of the Americas.Jose Luis Magana/AP; Pavel Golovkin/AP

While Pichai is quite private, he is known to start his day with a cup of tea and an omelette — plus a copy of The Wall Street Journal.

Pichai said he reads a physical copy of The Wall Street Journal everyday.Mark Lennihan/AP

Although he's private, Pichai has spoken out about certain causes since he became a public figure.

Pichai has pushed back against former president Donald Trump's takes on Muslim immigrants in the US.SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

In his home country, Pichai is seen as something of a hero.

Harsha Bhogle (right) interviewing Pichai at Delhi University in 2018.Saumya Khandelwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

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Inside the career rise of Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO being paid hundreds of millions to pave the way towards an 'AI-first' company

Pichai, whose full name is actually Pichai Sundararajan, grew up in Chennai, India.

After becoming interested in computers — the first software program he wrote was a chess game — Pichai studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. His success there won him a scholarship to Stanford University.

When Pichai got to America in 1993, he couldn't believe how expensive everything was.

Pichai earned a master's degree from Stanford, and later attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for his MBA.

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex on April Fools' Day in 2004 — the same day the company launched Gmail.

Pichai got his start working as a VP of product management, focused on Google's Toolbar.

Another early achievement for Pichai: he convinced cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin that Google should build its own browser.

As a leader, Pichai was known to be well-liked and focused on results, which resulted in more responsibility.

His success garnered attention, and he was reportedly approached for a leadership role at Twitter.

As he rose through the ranks, he was considered the right-hand man of Google cofounder and former CEO Larry Page.

That knack and his success led to Pichai's next important promotion in late 2014, when Page put him in charge of the company's core products.

Less than a year later, he was named CEO of Google.

In July 2017, Pichai was named to Alphabet's board of directors.

Two years later came his final promotion, when Alphabet's CEO, Page, and president, Brin, announced that were stepping down, and Pichai would become Alphabet CEO.

He's well-compensated for his work.

But the top job also comes with increased public scrutiny.

Google dealt with internal turmoil when it fired one of its top AI ethicists.

In 2020, Pichai was at the forefront of Google's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Late last year, Pichai had to oversee an era of cost-cutting at the company, which resulted in layoffs in January.

Pichai has also led Google in the AI arms race that's overtaken Silicon Valley.

One result of Google's AI effort is the chatbot Bard.

Now, Pichai is shifting Google's focus to integrating AI into its other products.

When Pichai isn't spending his team leading Google, the CEO meets with influential world leaders.

While Pichai is quite private, he is known to start his day with a cup of tea and an omelette — plus a copy of The Wall Street Journal.

Although he's private, Pichai has spoken out about certain causes since he became a public figure.

In his home country, Pichai is seen as something of a hero.