Who Is Sergey Brin? The Billionaire Directing Google's AGI Race And The 60-Hour Workweek Push

Google co-founder and billionaire Sergey Brin has sparked fresh debate about the future of work with his call for a 60-hour workweek. But who is the man behind this idea, and how did he go from revolutionising internet searches to influencing how we spend our time?

Brin has urged staff to increase their working hours by 50%—from the standard 40 to 60 per week—arguing that this commitment is crucial for Google to stay ahead in the race for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The AGI competition represents the pursuit of AI that can match or surpass human intelligence, a goal that has become a key battleground in the tech industry.

Brin's Vision For Google's Future

The New York Times obtained an internal memo in which Brin advised those building the company's AI tools to come into the office 'at least every weekday.' He further expressed that '60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity.'

Even as he mentioned those putting in fewer hours, Brin advised workers not to surpass the 60-hour mark, which could lead to exhaustion. 'A number of folks work less than 60 hours, and a small number put in the bare minimum to get by,' he reportedly wrote in the memo.

'This last group is not only unproductive but also can be highly demoralising to everyone else,' the top executive added. To underscore the immediate need for AGI advancement, Brin explained, 'Competition has accelerated immensely, and the final race to AGI is afoot... I think we have all the ingredients to win this race, but we are going to have to turbocharge our efforts.'

Fueling The AGI Race

AGI is commonly understood as AI capable of human-level thought, learning, and problem-solving rather than being restricted to specific functions. Despite the absence of a fixed definition for AGI, many AI corporations, including Google, view it as the end objective.

Since early 2023, Brin has taken a more significant role in Google's AI projects, and he's advocating for a substantial change: using AI to enhance its own abilities. His aim is for Google's programmers to lean more heavily on their own AI instruments for coding, as he sees this as essential to accomplishing AGI.

While his recent focus on AI and the 60-hour workweek has placed him back in the spotlight, it's worth taking a closer look at the path that led Sergey Brin to become one of the most influential technological figures.

Who Is Sergey Brin

Sergey Brin, a computer scientist and internet innovator originally from Russia, built his fortune as the driving force behind Google, now part of the parent company, Alphabet. He partnered with a fellow Stanford computer science graduate program student, Larry Page, to launch the company.

Brin oversaw Google's technological direction for a decade, from 2001 to 2011, before transitioning to 'director of special projects.' Page and Brin each hold roughly 6% of Alphabet's stock. They also maintain a controlling stake in company votes through super-voting shares.

Brin consistently appears among the world's wealthiest and most influential individuals. According to the November 2024 Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Sergey Brin's holdings include approximately 6% of Alphabet, Google's parent company, across both Class B and Class C shares.

Brin's Early Years

Born in Moscow, Russia, on 21st August 1973, Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin's early life took a dramatic turn when, at six years old, he and his family fled the country to avoid Jewish persecution. Maryland became their new home, and his father began teaching math at the University of Maryland.

Unsurprisingly, Sergey displayed an exceptional knack for mathematical problem-solving from his youth. His father's home tutoring honed his son's analytical mind and ignited his computer passion.

Relationships And Ventures

Brin married Anne Wojcicki, a fellow internet entrepreneur, from 2007 to 2015. They were introduced by Wojcicki's sister, Susan, who was known for providing her garage as Google's initial workspace in 1998. Susan went on to become a senior leader at Google. Brin and Wojcicki are parents to two children. Wojcicki is the co-founder of 23andMe, the DNA analysis service.

In 2015, Brin started a relationship with entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan, whom he met at a yoga retreat. They married in 2018 and welcomed a child. Brin initiated divorce proceedings in January 2022, citing 15th December, 2021, as their official separation date in his filing.

Reports indicate Sergey filed for divorce following allegations of an affair between Nicole and Elon Musk, a long-time friend and business associate of his. Court documents reportedly show Nicole sought a settlement of at least £0.79 billion ($1 billion).

He established the Sergey Brin Family Foundation in 2015. Reports indicate he maintains a staff of about 50 people to handle his affairs, ranging from financial advisors for his charitable work to personal trainers, chefs, a full-time photographer, and a yacht captain on standby.

Sergey Brin Net Worth

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Brin's net worth is around £115.04 billion ($145 billion). Since Google's 2004 IPO, he's sold roughly £7.93 billion ($10 billion) in shares. Brin holds Class B and Class C shares of Alphabet, including 19 million Class C shares.

He also has equity in Tesla and 23andMe. Notably, Page and Brin led a £31.73 million ($40 million) investment in Tesla back in 2006, and Brin was among the first to receive a Tesla Model X. Although they co-founded Google on equal footing, Page now holds a marginally larger portion of the company's shares, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

The minor difference in their Google shareholdings results in Page typically having a net worth of several billion dollars greater than Sergey Brin. Recent SEC data shows Page owning 6.1% of outstanding shares, compared to Brin's 5.7%.