Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt says the Google founders have grown up.
“The boys have grown up,” Schmidt said at a news conference before the company’s annual meeting referring to founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Gone are the days when Schmidt had to step in to settle a dispute between Page and Brin over what size beds they could have on the Google jet or building an inkjet printer out of Legos.
Page, 35 and Brin, 34, created the Google search engine when they were in their 20s.
“Now we don’t have the same kind of arguments,” said Schmidt, who is 53. “In fact, they really are running the companies that they founded at the scale and with the insights that you would expect of people who are no longer young founders but are mature business leaders,” said Schmidt.
Brin and Page are listed as number 32 and 33 on Forbes 2008 list of billionaires, with over $18 billion each. When asked about the impact of their wealth Brin said, “I don’t think at a certain scale it matters, but I do have a pretty good toy budget now. I just got a new monitor.” Page added “I don’t have to do laundry.”
Whoever does their laundry doesn’t have to fuss much. Schmidt, speaking for both of them, said they’ve kept their casual style and their personalities. Brin and Page said a staff of thousands have helped them get rid of the college style all-nighters they once pulled.
