Sundar Pichai was awarded $281 million in compensation last year. Here's how the Alphabet CEO got his start and rose to become one of the world's highest-paid executives.

Avery Hartmans,Mary MeisenzahlApr 29, 2020, 23:57 IST

Sundar Pichai.Associated Press

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company, is now one of the world's highest-paid executives after he was awarded $281 million in total compensation in 2019.
Pichai, who is also the CEO of Google, became Alphabet's CEO when Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced last December that they were stepping down from their leadership roles at the company.
Pichai has been at Google since 2004, rising through the ranks to become CEO in 2015, and eventually, leading the entire company.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Sundar Pichai has had a meteoric rise since joining Google in 2004.

Last December, Google's cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced that Pichai would be taking over as Alphabet CEO, as both Page and Brin stepped down from their leadership roles at the company.

Up until that point, Larry Page was still CEO of Google's parent company, Alphabet, and Pichai had the incredibly important job of making sure that the company's core businesses and cash cow — Search — stayed strong. Now, he's CEO of both Google and Alphabet.

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 contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Read the original article on Business Insider

He's well-compensated for his work. Google said in an April regulatory filing that Pichai was awarded $281 million in total compensation in 2019, mostly in stock awards. Pichai's annual salary is $650,000, though Google says it will rise to $2 million in 2020.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Google

He's well-compensated for his work. Google said in an April regulatory filing that Pichai was awarded $281 million in total compensation in 2019, mostly in stock awards. Pichai's annual salary is $650,000, though Google says it will rise to $2 million in 2020.

In December 2019, Alphabet's CEO Larry Page and president Sergey Brin announced that were stepping down, and Pichai would become Alphabet CEO.

Larry Page, left, and Sergey Brin. Stephen Lam/Reuters

Throughout his meteoric rise, he's remained incredibly humble: "It is always good to work with people who make you feel insecure about yourself. That way, you will constantly keep pushing your limits," Pichai said in 2015.

Justin Sullivan

Throughout his meteoric rise, he's remained incredibly humble: "It is always good to work with people who make you feel insecure about yourself. That way, you will constantly keep pushing your limits," Pichai said in 2015.

In his home country, Pichai is seen as something of a hero. "You've done what everyone has dreamed of doing," interviewer Harsha Bhogle said in a Q&A with Pichai for students at Delhi University.

Google

In his home country, Pichai is seen as something of a hero. "You've done what everyone has dreamed of doing," interviewer Harsha Bhogle said in a Q&A with Pichai for students at Delhi University.

In July 2017, Pichai was named to Alphabet's board of directors. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I'm excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Alphabet CEO Larry Page said at the time.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Stephen Lam/Reuters

In July 2017, Pichai was named to Alphabet's board of directors. "Sundar has been doing a great job as Google's CEO, driving strong growth, partnerships, and tremendous product innovation. I really enjoy working with him and I'm excited that he is joining the Alphabet board," Alphabet CEO Larry Page said at the time.

Pichai was one of the highest-rated CEOs on Glassdoor at one point — he received a 96% approval rating from respondents. These days, he's No. 46 among all US CEOs.

Google and YouTube employees march in the San Francisco Gay Pride Festival in California June 29, 2014. Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters

Pichai was one of the highest-rated CEOs on Glassdoor at one point — he received a 96% approval rating from respondents. These days, he's No. 46 among all US CEOs.

Pichai was always well-liked as a leader at Google as he rose through the ranks, and as CEO, his popularity soared. One Googler on Quora wrote, "He is literally worshipped inside Google. Engineers love him. Product Managers love him. Business people love him."

Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

Pichai was always well-liked as a leader at Google as he rose through the ranks, and as CEO, his popularity soared. One Googler on Quora wrote, "He is literally worshipped inside Google. Engineers love him. Product Managers love him. Business people love him."

Pichai is known to start his day with a cup of tea and an omelette — plus a copy of the Wall Street Journal.

Mark Lennihan/AP

Although he's private, Pichai is willing to speak out about certain causes that he believes in. Following some of President Donald Trump's comments about immigration, he wrote a public post expressing his views: "Let's not let fear defeat our values. We must support Muslim and other minority communities in the US and around the world."

US President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on immigration and border security at the US Border Patrol Calexico Station in Calexico, California, April 5, 2019 Flickr/Maurizio Pesce

Although he's private, Pichai is willing to speak out about certain causes that he believes in. Following some of President Donald Trump's comments about immigration, he wrote a public post expressing his views: "Let's not let fear defeat our values. We must support Muslim and other minority communities in the US and around the world."

When the company blew up its corporate structure almost a year later, it was no surprise that Pichai got tapped to lead Google, since he was responsible for its core products.

Page respects Pichai. "Sundar has a tremendous ability to see what's ahead and mobilize teams around the super important stuff," he wrote in a memo announcing Pichai's promotion. "We very much see eye-to-eye when it comes to product, which makes him the perfect fit for this role."

Alphabet CEO Larry Page. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Page respects Pichai. "Sundar has a tremendous ability to see what's ahead and mobilize teams around the super important stuff," he wrote in a memo announcing Pichai's promotion. "We very much see eye-to-eye when it comes to product, which makes him the perfect fit for this role."

That knack and his success with Chrome, Apps, and Android led to Pichai's next important promotion in late 2014, when Page put him in charge of almost all of the company's product areas, including search, maps, Google Plus, commerce and ads, and infrastructure. He essentially became Page's second-in-command.

Getty / Steve Jennings

That knack and his success with Chrome, Apps, and Android led to Pichai's next important promotion in late 2014, when Page put him in charge of almost all of the company's product areas, including search, maps, Google Plus, commerce and ads, and infrastructure. He essentially became Page's second-in-command.

We've been told that he would often act as Larry Page's "interpreter" — understanding Page's vision and then helping to communicate it to other teams.

Larry Page, the CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet. Thomson Reuters

Pichai has remained a loyal Googler despite reportedly being approached by Twitter for high-ranking roles a couple of times.

Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Another landmark in Pichai's rise: He was reportedly instrumental in helping put together Google's $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest in 2014.

Google

As a leader, Pichai was always well-liked and more focused on results instead of standing out. That "substance over overt style" attitude attracted attention, though, and he started getting more responsibility. Pichai then took over the Android division in 2013.

Sundar Pinchai. Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

As a leader, Pichai was always well-liked and more focused on results instead of standing out. That "substance over overt style" attitude attracted attention, though, and he started getting more responsibility. Pichai then took over the Android division in 2013.

That Internet Explorer debacle led to another big early achievement for Pichai: convincing cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to make Google build its own browser. The result, Chrome, is now the most-used option out there.

Stephen Lam/Reuters

That Internet Explorer debacle led to another big early achievement for Pichai: convincing cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to make Google build its own browser. The result, Chrome, is now the most-used option out there.

Pichai got his start working on Google's search toolbar. But in 2006, Microsoft created a "Doomsday" scenario for Google by making Bing the new default search engine on Internet Explorer. Pichai helped convince computer manufacturers to preinstall the Toolbar on their hardware to mitigate the effect of this change.

The Toolbar site when Pichai started in 2004. The Way Back Machine

Pichai got his start working on Google's search toolbar. But in 2006, Microsoft created a "Doomsday" scenario for Google by making Bing the new default search engine on Internet Explorer. Pichai helped convince computer manufacturers to preinstall the Toolbar on their hardware to mitigate the effect of this change.

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex on April Fools' Day in 2004 — the same day the company launched Gmail. Everyone, Pichai included, initially thought that the free email service was one of Google's famous pranks.

Getty Images

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex on April Fools' Day in 2004 — the same day the company launched Gmail. Everyone, Pichai included, initially thought that the free email service was one of Google's famous pranks.

Pichai earned his MS from Stanford, and then attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for his MBA. Before Google, he had stints at Applied Materials and consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

Screenshot / YouTube

Pichai earned his MS from Stanford, and then attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for his MBA. Before Google, he had stints at Applied Materials and consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

When Pichai got to America in 1993, he couldn't believe how expensive everything was. He also missed his girlfriend, Anjali. The two eventually got married, and now have a son, Kiran, and daughter, Kavya.

Steve Jennings

When Pichai got to America in 1993, he couldn't believe how expensive everything was. He also missed his girlfriend, Anjali. The two eventually got married, and now have a son, Kiran, and daughter, Kavya.

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

Students walk on the Stanford University campus in Santa Clara, California. Ben Margot/AP

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

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

School students hold a 200-meter-long Indian national flag during India's Independence Day celebrations in Chennai. Shutterstock

This AI generates absurdist memes that are funnier than what most real humans create

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Sundar Pichai was awarded $281 million in compensation last year. Here's how the Alphabet CEO got his start and rose to become one of the world's highest-paid executives.

He's well-compensated for his work. Google said in an April regulatory filing that Pichai was awarded $281 million in total compensation in 2019, mostly in stock awards. Pichai's annual salary is $650,000, though Google says it will rise to $2 million in 2020.

In December 2019, Alphabet's CEO Larry Page and president Sergey Brin announced that were stepping down, and Pichai would become Alphabet CEO.

Throughout his meteoric rise, he's remained incredibly humble: "It is always good to work with people who make you feel insecure about yourself. That way, you will constantly keep pushing your limits," Pichai said in 2015.

In his home country, Pichai is seen as something of a hero. "You've done what everyone has dreamed of doing," interviewer Harsha Bhogle said in a Q&A with Pichai for students at Delhi University.

Pichai was one of the highest-rated CEOs on Glassdoor at one point — he received a 96% approval rating from respondents. These days, he's No. 46 among all US CEOs.

Pichai was always well-liked as a leader at Google as he rose through the ranks, and as CEO, his popularity soared. One Googler on Quora wrote, "He is literally worshipped inside Google. Engineers love him. Product Managers love him. Business people love him."

Pichai is known to start his day with a cup of tea and an omelette — plus a copy of the Wall Street Journal.

When the company blew up its corporate structure almost a year later, it was no surprise that Pichai got tapped to lead Google, since he was responsible for its core products.

Page respects Pichai. "Sundar has a tremendous ability to see what's ahead and mobilize teams around the super important stuff," he wrote in a memo announcing Pichai's promotion. "We very much see eye-to-eye when it comes to product, which makes him the perfect fit for this role."

We've been told that he would often act as Larry Page's "interpreter" — understanding Page's vision and then helping to communicate it to other teams.

Pichai has remained a loyal Googler despite reportedly being approached by Twitter for high-ranking roles a couple of times.

Another landmark in Pichai's rise: He was reportedly instrumental in helping put together Google's $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest in 2014.

As a leader, Pichai was always well-liked and more focused on results instead of standing out. That "substance over overt style" attitude attracted attention, though, and he started getting more responsibility. Pichai then took over the Android division in 2013.

That Internet Explorer debacle led to another big early achievement for Pichai: convincing cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to make Google build its own browser. The result, Chrome, is now the most-used option out there.

Pichai interviewed at the Googleplex on April Fools' Day in 2004 — the same day the company launched Gmail. Everyone, Pichai included, initially thought that the free email service was one of Google's famous pranks.

Pichai earned his MS from Stanford, and then attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for his MBA. Before Google, he had stints at Applied Materials and consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

When Pichai got to America in 1993, he couldn't believe how expensive everything was. He also missed his girlfriend, Anjali. The two eventually got married, and now have a son, Kiran, and daughter, Kavya.

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

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