Eric Schmidt, a prominent entrepreneur and businessman, is known for his significant contributions to the tech industry. Born in Falls Church, Virginia, on April 27, 1955, Schmidt’s educational journey began at Yorktown High School in Arlington County. He then attended Princeton University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1976.
After Princeton, Schmidt pursued further studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained both a Master of Science and a PhD in Computer Engineering. His career path led him to work with early technology companies like Bell Labs and Zilog before becoming CEO and Chairman of Novell.
In the early 2000s, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recognized Schmidt’s expertise and recruited him as CEO. Under his leadership, Google’s value soared. By 2011, Schmidt had amassed a net worth exceeding $7 billion. In 2011, he stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by Larry Page. In 2017, he also left his role as executive chairman of Alphabet.
Throughout his career, Schmidt has been involved with various organizations including Carnegie Mellon University and Khan Academy. He founded Innovation Endeavors in 2010 to invest in AI and quantum computing technologies.
Schmidt’s wealth allows him to own a Gulfstream G650ER private jet. The aircraft is registered as N652WE with Bank of Utah Trustee listed as its owner. Built in 2021 with serial number 6483, this jet boasts an impressive range of approximately 7,500 nautical miles.
According to Celebrity Private Jet Tracker, Schmidt frequently travels internationally to destinations such as South Bimini Airport in the Bahamas and Kansai International Airport in Japan. Domestically within the US, he visits locations like Miami Opa Locka Airport in Florida.
The Gulfstream G650ER is renowned for its performance specifications including a maximum speed of Mach 0.925 and service ceiling of 51,000 feet. Its design features include an oval-shaped fuselage with spacious cabin dimensions allowing for up to thirteen passengers or six sleeping passengers.
The G650 program began internally at Gulfstream in May 2005 before public unveiling in March 2008. After initial flight testing challenges—including a crash that resulted in fatalities—the aircraft received FAA certification by September 2012.
Since then over five hundred units have been produced making it one of Gulfstream’s most popular models alongside newer iterations like the G700 used by notable figures such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
