Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, gave Alphabet Inc. shares worth $700 billion as a gift from his personal fortune, which exceeds $140 billion.
Even after this significant donation, Brin remains the 10th richest person in the world, with a net worth currently estimated at $143 billion, according to data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Who is Sergey Brin?
Sergey Brin and Larry Page co-founded Alphabet, the holding company that owns Google, in 1998. Google is considered to be the world’s largest search engine operator. In 2019, Brin and Page stepped down from top management roles. However, they continue to serve on the board and are controlling shareholders.
Sergey Brin’s net worth
The net worth of the Alphabet co-founder is mostly made up of a combination of Class B and Class C shares of the company. Since Google’s initial public offering in 2004, Brin has sold more than $11 billion worth of shares, according to Bloomberg data.
Other contributions
The current contribution of $700 million is not the first time Brin has offloaded Alphabet shares. In 2023, donated roughly $600 million in shares following the debut of Google’s AI search. He announced additional gifts of shares worth over $100 million in May and November of last year.
Brin has frequently contributed to research on Parkinson’s disease and runs a nonprofit focused on climate and health. He has funded startups tackling a range of initiatives, from psychedelics to an ambitious $155 billion project aimed at constructing “energy islands” in Copenhagen.
Brin’s current donation was revealed on Wednesday in a regulatory filing, without specifying who received nearly 4.1 million shares. This amount, evenly divided between newly converted Class A and Class C stocks, could potentially be allocated to charity or transferred to financial vehicles or trusts, according to a report by Bloomberg News.
His current disclosure comes as Alphabet shares rose 5.6% on Wednesday after product announcements, indicating the company’s adaptability to the AI age, it added. On Tuesday, Google announced it would roll out a new tab called “AI mode” to all US users.