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.