Google’s co-founders are reaping the rewards of the artificial intelligence frenzy, adding more than $18 billion to their combined wealth as the company unveils a revamped search engine.
Larry Page’s net worth rose $9.4 billion this week to $106.9 billion, while Sergey Brin rose $8.9 billion to $102.1 billion, according to The Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That was their biggest weekly gain since February 2021.
Google will begin experimenting with a more conversational search engine and creates an AI-powered chatbot AVAILABLE more broadly, the Mountain View, California-based company said at its annual developer conference on Wednesday. That helps the company assert its dominance in a highly competitive field. Shares of its parent, Alphabet Inc., rose nearly 1% in New York on Friday after rising 8.6% in the two days through Thursday.
Page and Brin, who are helping to push AI and are more involved in the company than in their years, are among the biggest gainers in 2023 after adding more than $22 billion each to their fortunes. They rank as the eighth and ninth richest people in the world, respectively.
The former chief executive officer of Google, Eric Schmidt, is another beneficiary of the AI boom. He has invested in many startups in the field and REJECTED public calls to slow the pace of research, citing concerns Developments in China in tech.
Most of his $23.6 billion fortune remains tied up in Alphabet, where he is the third-largest individual owner. His net worth gained $ 1.8 billion this week.