Larry Page steps down as Alphabet CEO; Sundar Pichai to lead both Alphabet and Google

Our very first founders' letter in our 2004 S-1 began: … We believe those central tenets are still true today. The company is not conventional and continues to make ambitious bets on new technology, especially with our Alphabet structure.

The Keyword 2019-12-04

Discussion

@sundarpichai Sundar Pichai on x
I'm excited about Alphabet's long term focus on tackling big challenges through technology. Thanks to Larry & Sergey, we have a timeless mission, enduring values and a culture of collaboration & exploration - a strong foundation we'll continue to build on https://blog.google/...
@benioff Marc Benioff on x
Congrats @sundarpichai! Exciting to see the new era begin. Well deserved promotion! & How about Page/Brin 2020?
@googlewalkout @googlewalkout on x
Looks like Sergey and Larry were trying to organize at Alphabet... #thanksgivingsix? https://rsci.app.link/... https://twitter.com/...
@lutherlowe Luther Lowe on x
Nothing in the Page/Brin announcement says anything about a divestiture or relinquishing of the voting control. The fact remains: Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the most powerful and least accountable humans on the planet.
@ericschmidt Eric Schmidt on x
Congratulations to Sundar - he has everything Google and Alphabet need. Thank you to Larry and Sergey for everything - your insight and brilliance, your intensity and your friendship. https://twitter.com/...
@laurenceb @laurenceb on x
I'm glad to see Sundar and Google committing to these values. “[C]ulture of collaboration & exploration” is exactly what we were doing looking at documents and calendars that were shared with all employees at the company. https://twitter.com/...
@dhh @dhh on x
With Page and Brin out at Google, are there anyone left at the company from the time “Don't Be Evil” was adopted as a core value? https://www.cnn.com/...
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
one curiosity from me. Due to an odd SEC loophole, Google doesn't have to disclose YouTube financials since Alphabet CEO (supposedly) doesn't track them. Does this mean Sundar will stop following YouTube's financials now? Or will they disclose more? https://digitalcontentnext.org…
@jonerlichman Jon Erlichman on x
1998: Larry Page and Sergey Brin launch Google in a Menlo Park garage. 1999: They try to sell Google for $750,000 but are turned down. 2019: They step down from their roles at Google's parent company Alphabet. Their combined stake in the company is worth $123.3 billion. pic.twitt…
@slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x
Cannot believe that Larry Page and Sergey Brin left @google before Google stopped serving ads to Breitbart. https://twitter.com/...
@alliekmiller @alliekmiller on x
In 1999, Larry and Sergey tried to sell Google for $1MM and were rejected. They dropped the price to $750K...still nothing. Today, they're worth a combined $100B. Congrats to two of the biggest innovators of our time! https://twitter.com/...
@manukumarjain @manukumarjain on x
From learning alphabets in Jawahar Vidyalaya to leading “#Alphabet”, one of the most valued tech companies. 😇 Congratulations @sundarpichai. You are an inspiration to all. Wishing u all the best! Special mention to #LarryPage & #SergeyBrin for this gracious decision.🙏 #Google htt…
@lutherlowe Luther Lowe on x
The business press will frame this as two titans of industry riding off into the sunset. But this is a political story. It is about two guys who founded a legally shady monopoly (& have never publicly answered for it) sprinting toward escape hatches as law enforcement closes in.
@ow Owen Williams on x
Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Alphabet *and* Google now which basically makes the whole “they aren't the same company” thing pointless https://www.blog.google/...
@teddyschleifer Teddy Schleifer on x
Notable to me that in their farewell letter, Larry and Sergey say zero about what they're going to do with their time/money beyond “talking with Sundar regularly.” These are two of the wealthiest people in the country. They are very private people, but scrutiny will find them.
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
it really is farewell to “don't be evil” at Google https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
2. Larry and Sergey have essentially gone AWOL anyway as their myriad of other interests have diverged from running the business that allowed them to have a myriad of interests.
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Actually not as big a deal as it seems. 1. @sundarpichai has had purview over the big dogs of the company @Google and @YouTube for a while 2. Larry and Sergey have been AWOL for a while 3. The pair still control it all via dual class stock. So same same, though congrats to Sundar…
@johnbattelle John Battelle on x
Hot take: Larry never liked the hot seat of tech founder land - and it's only getting hotter. (Zuck seems to willfully ignore it). Sundar doesn't have founder's control, essentially shielding Larry. But.. would Larry and Sergey ever give up voting control? Methinks not.
@nongaap Mike on x
Anyone know if Larry is moving to Africa? https://twitter.com/...
@rdrv3 David Ruddock on x
That all said, I'm unsure Sundar is the executive Google needs to continue to grow for the next 20 years. He's always felt like a bit of a Tim Cook: steady, even-keeled, and unflappable. The perfect-on-paper CEO. but one that basically never expresses a compelling vision.
@edmundlee Edmund Lee on x
reminder: Larry and Sergey still control the company. Sundar's move into top spot will be tested if/when he decides to pull back spending on moonshot projects
@delrey Jason Del Rey on x
“Your mess now, Sundar”
@backlon Dieter Bohn on x
This letter doesn't do a better job of explaining why Alphabet needs to exist as a separate company
@stshank Stephen Shankland on x
Larry Page and Sergey Brin are now just Google co-founders, board members, and advisors. @sundarpichai is CEO of Alphabet, not just Google. https://blog.google/...
@shiraovide Shira Ovide on x
Welp. I wrote in July that Larry Page was not doing the job of a public company CEO, and why did he have that job. https://www.bloomberg.com/... And now, he does not.
@mcwm Mike Murphy on x
@sundarpichai the Google founders stepping aside seems to be being revived positively https://twitter.com/...
@elipariser Eli Pariser on x
Strikes me as potentially good news, just in the sense that there will be someone who has some semblance of accountability at the top. https://twitter.com/...
@jasongay Jason Gay on x
I've never heard anyone ever call it alphabet. It's like googles weird first name that no one uses except at the doctor's office. https://twitter.com/...
@annmlipton Ann Lipton on x
will they give up their dual class stock now? or do they still need to preserve their vision? https://twitter.com/...
@mulligan Brenden Mulligan on x
Google starts to atrophy without an internal reorg every few minutes. This should feed the beast, causing a million reorgs across the organization as people shift to assume more of Sundar's Google CEO responsibilities. https://twitter.com/...
@aronchick David Aronchick on x
In my opinion this will make no difference to the running of the company, but I would not be surprised to see the company worth $3T inside of 5 years https://twitter.com/...

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Larry Page steps down as Alphabet CEO; Sundar Pichai to lead both Alphabet and Google

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