Larry Page (Google) Facts – #50 Fun Facts

Larry Page Facts – Biography

Larry Page: Wonder Years

1. Larry Page and Sergey Brin-Founders of Google

Larry Page, along with Sergey Brin, invents the world’s most popular search engine to date, “Google”.

Google has an estimated 300 million users per day, with more than 2 billion searches conducted in a day, making Google one of the most visited websites on the internet.

2. Larry Page: Born (March, 1973)

Lawrence E. Page (better known as Larry Page), is born in Lansing, the capital state of Michigan, on Monday, 26 March 1973.

26 March is also the date of birth of many other famous personalities such as Alan Arkin, Keira Knightley, Kevin O’ Neal and singer Diana Ross.

3. Interest in Computers and Technology Since Childhood

Larry Page’s childhood is the reason behind his love for computers and technology.

Coming from a home where both his parents are related to the computer science field, their home is filled with all sorts of gadgets, computers and science magazines.

It is from here that he, at the age of six, starts to show an interest in science related things.

He eventually becomes the first child in his elementary school to submit an assignment in a word-processed form.

Student Life of Larry Page

4. Makes an Inkjet Printer Using LEGO Bricks

While studying at the University of Michigan, Larry Page makes an inkjet printer using LEGO Bricks.

5. Member of “Maize & Blue”

At the University of Michigan, Larry Page is also a member of the 1993, “Maize & Blue”, University of Michigan Solar Car team.

The team is responsible for building the 1993 Maize & Blue solar car on behalf of the University of Michigan from 1990-1993.

The car participates in 2 races, winning the National Championship in Sunrayce 1993 and finishing 11th in the World Solar Challenge.

The car is now displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois.

6. Larry Page Meets Sergey Brin

Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are students at Stanford University.

Brinand Page meet in March 1995, when Brin showsthe campus to the new PhD students during Spring Orientation.

Larry is one of the new students.

Apparently, both of them do not get along well during their first meeting and argue the entire time.

Google & Larry Page

7. Page and Brin lay the Foundations of Google

Page and Brin eventually become friends and start a research project together, by the name of “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine”.

This research paper becomes the foundation for Google.

Sergey Brin Facts – Biography

Surprisingly, both do not complete their PhDs, as Google becomes successful.

8. ‘Google’ is Named after the Numerical Term, ‘Googol’

The company’s name, ‘Google’ is named after the numerical term, ‘Googol’, the number1followed by 100 zeroes.

The name adequately describes the vision the co-founders have about their company, for it to become a search engine full of possibilities and an immense store of information.

9. Google’s Motto is ‘Don’t Be Evil’

The motto of Google is ‘Don’t be evil’.

When he is asked what this pertains to, Page says that the mantra reflects the company’s ideology that the products and services they create should be the best for the consumers and the company.

Everyone should benefit from their work.

10. Larry Page Hires Google’s First Employee

Larry Page hires Google’s first employee, namely Susan Wojcicki.

Susan is a fellow PhD of the founders at Stanford University.

It is also Susan’s garage from where the company starts its first operation, back in September 1998.

11. Google Gets its First Investment of $ 100,000

Success for Google does not come easy.

It requires a lot of effort in terms of time and money.

Thus, when Google gets its first investment of $ 100,000 from Andy Bechtolsheim, both Larry and Sergey go to Burger King to celebrate over breakfast.

12. Initial Public Offering of Google

During August 2004, when Google starts its initial public offering, Larry Page wants the buyers to take a test prior to buying Google stock.

His philosophy behind this is that the buyers should be well aware of what Google is all about.

However, the US Securities and Exchange Commission do not allow it.

13. Google Purchases YouTube, for US $ 1.65 billion

In 2006, Google makes a purchase that increases not only its net worth but its popularity and value as well.

Google purchases the widely accessed video website, YouTube, for US$ 1.65 billion.

14. Becomes CEO of Google on April 4, 2011

Page becomes CEO of Google on April 4, 2011, after the previous CEO Schmidt takes on another position in Google.

Page and Brin both receive a dollar a year by Google Inc.

15. Google’s Successful Innovation, Google Now

One of the successful Google innovations, Google Now, has developed very quickly.

This reflects the company’s devotion to focusing on a certain number of products at one time.

Page is working hard to head Google in new directions.

He is much more focused and in control, and cannot wait to begin working on new products that are continuously evolving in his brilliant mind.

16. Larry Page Establishes Google X

Page creates a separate department called Google X where ‘crazy’ ideas are born.

When he is  asked why a separate category is created for this, Page replies that the ideas born in Google X are to be worked on independently and need a focused team.

Page believes that there is a whole world of opportunities and ‘crazy’ ideas that can be accessed through the technological advances of today.

17. Page’s Dedication Has Shifted Google Towards a Brighter Future

When Page takes over in 2011, Google is going through a rough patch.

Page takes charge and quickly delegates work to senior executives and begin to move the company in a more focused direction.

The company is now focusing on specific Google products.

The changes made by Page have been criticized, but overall his work has proved successful and has shifted Google towards a brighter future.

18. Page Eliminates Things that Slow Innovation and Progress of Google

As CEO of the company, Page has given much attention to eliminating anything that is slowing innovation and progress in the company.

He believes that Google’s main enemy is the company itself.

If the company begins to slow down or gets afflicted with politics and internal issues, productivity and improvement can suffer immensely.

19. WPP Decides to Increase its Spending on Google upto US $ 2 billion

Google employees and consumers are not the only ones who are becoming increasingly attracted to Google and its services.

WPP, a prestigious advertising agency, is one of Google’s most important advocates, and has decided to increase its spending on Google to a total of US$ 2 billion.

The CEO of WPP states that Google is a one of a kind company and is proud to support it.

20. Google’s Audacious Invention- ‘Automatic Car’

One of Google’s most audacious inventions is the ‘automatic car’, which can drive itself.

While the car has not been made available to the public yet, the car has been tested out quite a few times.

When the CEO of WPP, Sir Martin Sorrell, is coming to visit the Google Company, Page sends an automatic Lexus to pick him up, which has no driver but is able to maneuver around the city itself.

21. Apple and Google

There have been many rumors that Apple and Google have had their fair share of disputes, which amounts to some truth.

However, the two companies work together when they feel it is necessary for the betterment of their companies and customers.

Page and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook meet with each other to discuss issues and have made some improvement in their relationship.

Larry Page Family

22. Larry’s Parents Relate to the Field of Computer Science

Larry Page’s father Dr. Carl Page and his mother Gloria Page both work in the field of computer science.

Carl Page is one of the first few PhD graduates from the University of Michigan.

He graduates in 1965, when the computer science field is still in its early years.

Larry himself completes the Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the same university as his father.

Both of Larry’s parents are professors at Michigan State University.

His father is a professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, whereas his mother teaches a computer-programming class at the university.

23. Larry’s Sibling

Larry Page’s brother, Carl Victor Page Jr. is not as successful as Larry is.

Carl sells his co-founded eGroups to Yahoo.

In 2008, Carl goes through a financial crisis.

Earlier Carl is far ahead of his brother in terms of success.

However, a decade later it has all changed.

24. Larry Page Marries Lucinda Southworth

The press-shy Larry Page marries Lucinda Southworth, sister of actor Carrie Southworth and a biomedical informatics student at Stanford, on a Caribbean island in 2007.

Larry Page and Marries Lucinda Southworth

She is better known as “Lucy Southworth”, a name given to her by The New York Post.

Their wedding is a lavish affair. 600 guests fly to the island in a private jet and many A-listers are part of the wedding, such as U2 lead singer Bono, Leonardo Dicaprio and Johnny Depp, to name a few.

Millions of dollars are spent on the lavish wedding, unlike the wedding of his partner Brin, which is a small and quiet affair.

Larry Page Charity

25. Pays for Flu Shots in San Jose and San Francisco

Page does not simply invent and produce products and services for the public.

He uses these services himself.

Recently, in January 2013, Page has noted that there is an increase in flu cases through his search engine, Google.

He decides to pay for the flu shots for every child in the San Jose and San Francisco area.

26. Philanthropic Works

Google also has a department dedicated to philanthropic works.

Google.org starts with US$ 1 billion, and is dedicated to environmental change and public health improvements.

As Page is a strong supporter of renewable energy resources, the first project of Google.org is to create a fuel-efficient hybrid electric car.

Larry Page Accolades

27. Recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow

Larry’s success has earned him many awards and recognition.

In 2002, he is named one of the top 100 innovators in the world under the age of 35, by the MIT Technology Review.

In the same year, he is also recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow for his innovative and futuristic thinking methods.

28. Is Awarded an Honorary Doctorate

Cofounders of Google, Page and Brin, have received honorary MBA degrees from the IE business school.

The institution awards them the degrees in honor of their spectacular entrepreneurial skills.

In 2009, Page is awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Michigan.

29. 27th Richest Man in the World

Page is ranked as the 11th richest person in the United States in 2011 by Forbes.

In 2012, he is ranked as the 27th richest man in the world, with a net worth of US$ 21.1 billion, which is said to have increased in the year 2013.

30. Google Appears On the Forbes list of 100 Best Companies to Work for

Google has been named the number one best company to work for, according to the Forbes list of 100 best companies to work for.

Previously it is rated as fourth, but in the last two years, has risen to the top as Page begins to develop new ways to enhance customer and employee satisfaction.

Larry Page Inspirational

31. Larry Page’s Belief in “Never Lose a Business Opportunity”

“Never lose a business opportunity”, is something that Larry Page firmly believes in.

Therefore, when Google is developing the payment structure for its ad system, it is not a surprise that Page suggests taking goats as payment from customers in Uzbekistan.

The reason for this is that Uzbekistan does not accept credit cards as a form of payment.

32. Google Takes Care of its Employees

Employees of Google are kept happy and at ease in their work environment.

The Google headquarters, located in Silicon Valley, are full of facilities that Google employees can use to relax and ‘have fun’.

The building encompasses a bowling alley, a massage therapist, a beauty salon and a piano.

33. Page Strongly Believes that Failure Breeds Success

Google surely has made some mistakes and miscalculations with products over the years, but has managed to overcome any ‘failures’ with little loss.

Page does not believe that these failures have a strong impact on Google, as he is a strong believer that failure breeds success.

The only true failure for Page is to give up taking risks and trying new products.

The innovative products that Page is creating with his company will provide desirable solutions for customers.

34. Constant Innovation and Improvement

Constant improvement and innovation are what drive Larry Page.

In a recent interview with Wired, Page is asked whether he believes in improving already existing products.

Page incredulously answers in the affirmative, stating that improving existing products as imperative, but at the same time, creating something new is equally important to the success of a company.

35. A Company Must Work on Inventing and Commercializing Inventions

Page believes that a company must work on both inventing and commercializing those inventions.

He uses the Tesla Company as a successful example.

Stating that they have only worked for one product but have worked hard to make it available to the public through superb marketing skills.

As he is growing up, Page realizes that the problem with previous inventors is that they invent amazing products but are unable to create a business out of it.

36. Concerned about the Environment

He is concerned about the environment and is an active supporter of using alternative energy resources.

He is an investor in Tesla Motors, an electric car company that is increasingly gaining fame and popularity for its affordable energy saving techniques.

37. Drives an Environmentally Friendly Car

Although Page’s pockets are full, you won’t see him driving a fancy sports car and he does not have a collection of customized cars.

It is said that the Page drives a hybrid Toyota Prius, a reliable and environmentally friendly car.

Other Facts about Larry Page

38. Page and Brin Have Differences in Opinion

Both co-founders are said to argue a lot and have differences of opinion, which they believe is essential for their success and growth.

However, a few things are common as well, like their hatred of golf and their Boeing 767.

39. Larry and Sergey’s Strong Sense of Smell

Do you know why Google Headquarters has a strong air filter system? Larry and Sergey’s strong sense of smell is the key reason.

40. SAT Scores of their Employees are Important to the Google Cofounders

Larry Page, along with Sergey Brin, gives the utmost importance to the SAT scores of their employees during the recruitment process.

They believe that this information helps them judge employees well, in order to establish how intellectually sound they are and how well they will fit in at Google.

41. Good Terms with Apple Cofounder Steve Jobs

Larry Page is reported to be on good terms with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, “at times”.

They are said to have an on and off relationship with due to issues involving the Android operating systems.

42. Suffers from a Mysterious Illness

Larry suffers from a mysterious illness, which forces him to not to attend recent annual Shareholder’s meetings.

Apparently, the illness makes him lose his voice, due to which he is unable to show up.

Not much is known about his condition as of now.

43. Dates Marissa Mayer Prior to Marriage

Larry Page dates Marissa Mayer prior to his marriage with Lucy Southworth.

Marissa Mayer is now the president and CEO of Yahoo, making her the youngest CEO amongst the Fortune 500 companies.

44. Page and His Brother Have a Craze for Inventions

Page’s older brother has a strong influence on his craze for inventions.

Together they take apart electronics found all over their house and learn how it works before putting it back together again.

Page says that he knows from an early age that he wants to start a company that ‘invent things’.

45. Page has High Standards

Page has high standards.

Even with the apparent success of his company, Page still believes that Google can be better.

He even states in an interview that he believes Google to be “terrible”, implying that there is much more that can be done to improve the company.

Many companies are delighted with the way things are moving forward with Google, but Page believes that you need to expect 10x more, otherwise you’ll get stuck “doing the same thing as everybody else.”

46. His Company is Like his Family

For Page, his company is like his family.

He believes in creating a comfortable and family oriented environment in the workplace.

He states that if the employees feel they are part of the company, it will increase the productivity and the overall success of the company.

Clearly Page knows what he’s doing as a CEO.

47. Page Avoids Interviews

Page keeps to himself and does not indulge in interviews very often.

Many journalists and writers complain that it is difficult to write about Page, as he is difficult to get a hold of.

However, Page enjoys conversing with people in an informal fashion and will discuss his views and opinions with others.

48. Concentrates on Products that Maximize the Company’s Benefit

Google products that are not doing very well in producing or creating revenue are cut by Page every year.

He believes it is better to concentrate on products that can have maximum benefit to the company, rather than waste time on products that are not doing so well in terms of revenue and profit.

Page believes that it is best to devote attention to other more successful products.

49. Nikola Tesla is Page’s Hero and Inspiration

Not surprisingly, Page’s hero and inspiration is the famous inventor, Nikola Tesla.

Although Page admires his work, he feels that Tesla has failed in following through with his inventions due to this inability to market his work and gain monetary profit.

Page says the same about many past inventors.

50. Google : The Most Innovative Company

The Google company, which is led by Larry Page is considered to be the most innovative company on the market.

Fortunately for Google, the company has the resources and the expertise to take risks with creating and testing a wide range of innovative products.