Sergey Brin

Sergey Brin is an American computer scientist and entrepreneur best known for co-founding Google with Larry Page while they were graduate students at Stanford University. Born in Moscow, Soviet Union, in 1973, Brin immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of six. His family left the Soviet Union in part because they faced discrimination as Jews, and they sought greater freedom and opportunities in America. Brin's experiences as an immigrant and his passion for mathematics and computer science helped shape his career, leading to the creation of one of the world's most influential technology companies.

Brin's Jewish background has influenced his perspective on freedom, education, and innovation, although he has generally kept his personal religious beliefs private. Rather than being publicly known as a deeply religious person, Brin has spoken more about the importance of intellectual curiosity, open access to information, and protecting democratic values. The discrimination his family experienced because of their Jewish identity gave him an appreciation for individual rights and the importance of societies where people can pursue knowledge without fear or oppression. These experiences have often been cited as part of the motivation behind his support for education, scientific research, and free access to information.

While it would be inaccurate to say that religion alone shaped Sergey Brin's achievements, his family's Jewish heritage and experiences with religious discrimination played an important role in his worldview. His upbringing encouraged resilience, perseverance, and a strong respect for learning—values that aligned well with his work in technology and innovation. Today, Brin is recognized not only for his contributions to Google but also for his philanthropy and support of scientific and medical research, reflecting a broader commitment to improving society through knowledge and discovery.

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Sergey Brin Full Sketch

Personal Details

Born
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin
August 21, 1973 (age 53)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Height
5'8"
Residence
Crystal Bay, Nevada, USA
Nationality
American
Family Heritage
Russian
Religion
Not Religious (Current), Jewish (Raised)
Political Party
Republican (2023 - present),
Democrat
Secondary School
Public
Education
Stanford University (MS - Computer Science ) 1993–1995
University of Maryland (BS - Mathematics/Computer Science ) 1990 - 1993
Spouse(s)
Nicole Shanahan - Attorney and entrepreneur (m.2018 - div.2023),
Anne Wojcicki - Co-founder and former CEO of 23andMe (m.2007 - div.2015)
Partner(s)
Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto - Wellness influencer/Admin Assistant (2023 - present)
Children
Benji Brin (Mother - Anne Wojcicki),
Chloe Brin (Mother - Anne Wojcicki),
Echo Brin (Mother - Nicole Shanahan)
Relatives
Mikhail (Michael) Brin - Jewish - Professor of mathematics (Father),
Eugenia (Genia) Brin - Jewish - Research scientist/NASA (Mother),
Samuel Brin - Entrepreneur (Brother),
Maya Brin - English/Russian teacher (Paternal Grandmother)
Hobbies
Gymnast, Kiteboarding, Roller hockey, Roller skates
Favorite Quotes
"We have tried to define precisely what it means to be a force for good - always do the right, ethical thing. Ultimately, 'Don't be evil' seems the easiest way to summarize it.",
"You always hear the phrase, money doesn't buy you happiness. But I always in the back of my mind figured a lot of money will buy you a little bit of happiness. But it's not really true. I got a new car because the old one's lease expired.",
"You can make money without doing evil."

Wealth Meter

Upbringing
Middle-class
Net Worth
$237B Forbes 2026 (#3)
Wealth Contributors
Federal/State/Local Incentives, Government Contracts, Government Grants/Funding, Parent(s) in education, Partnered with college friend(s), Secured funding from investors, Team Achievement
First Break
His initial search engine research with Larry Page was supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. In August 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin reached a pivotal milestone when Sun Microsystems co-founder, Stanford University faculty member and angel investor Andy Bechtolsheim wrote them a $100,000 investment check after a brief morning demonstration of their search engine prototype at a Stanford-area meeting location.

Business/Public Service

Occupation
Businessman, Computer Scientist, Entrepreneur
Organizations
Alphabet Inc. (2015 - Co-founder),
Bayshore Global Management (2005 - Co-founder),
Google (1998 - Co-founder),
PageRank (1996 - Co-creator)
Industries
Technology

Philanthropy

Non-Profit(s)
Sergey Brin Family Foundation (2015)

Real Estate Portfolio

2026 - Miami Beach, FL, USA ($51 million USD),
2025 - Malibu, CA, USA ($49.7 million),
2025 - Lake Tahoe, NV, USA ($42 million USD),
2022 - Malibu, CA, USA ($35 million),
2010 - Los Altos Hills, CA, USA ($5.3 million USD)

Toys and Other Valuables

2014 - Gulfstream G650ER - shared ownership - Private Jet ($70 million USD),
2008 - French-built Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet - shared ownership - Private Jet,
2007 - Boeing 757 - shared ownership - Private Jet,
Gulfstream V - shared ownership - Private Jet,
2005 - Boeing 767-200 - shared ownership - Private Jet ($15 million USD),
2024 - Lürssen - 466 feet - Dragonfly - Yacht ($450 million USD),
Danish Yachts - 131-foot - Butterfly - Yacht

Net Worth and Donations

Sergey Brin Net Worth
S&P 500
Sergey Brin Political Donations

One particularly important point: Google’s origins

There is actually a government-funded research connection to Sergey Brin personally that is worth noting.

While Brin was a Stanford graduate student, he received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. More broadly, the federal government’s National Science Foundation funded Stanford research that involved both Brin and Larry Page and contributed to the research environment from which Google emerged. A U.S. government publication specifically describes the NSF’s role in supporting the Stanford Digital Library Initiative and notes that Brin was supported by an NSF Graduate Student Fellowship.

State/local incentives to Google

Google has also received substantial state/local incentives. For example:

  • Michigan: Google received a 20-year tax credit with estimated revenue forgone of $38.25 million when it expanded in Ann Arbor.
  • Google has subsequently received additional state/local incentives connected to data centers and other facilities. A recent analysis notes that Google is among the major technology companies benefiting from state data-center tax exemptions.
  • Google also has extensive government business through Google Public Sector, serving federal, defense/intelligence, state and local agencies.
Sergey Brin Family Foundation Donations and Assets

During 2024, the foundation awarded approximately $285 million in grants. The largest areas of funding among the top 10 donations were:

  • Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research: $253 million
  • UCSF Foundation: $68 million
  • Climate Imperative Foundation: $49 million
  • Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University: $32 million
  • United States Energy Foundation: $32 million
  • DAFGiving360: $25 million
  • BD2 LLC: $20 million
  • Broad Institute Inc: $18 million
  • Climateworks Foundation: $14 million
  • Rewiring America Inc: $12 million
  • Blue Meridian Partners Inc. : $10 million
  • Tara Climate LTD: $10 million