Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998 and is one of the architects of the modern internet. In 2026, his net worth is estimated at $154 billion, making him the world’s fifth-richest person. Like Page, virtually all of his wealth comes from his approximately 6% economic interest in Alphabet (Google’s parent company), held primarily through Class B super-voting shares.
| Full Name | Sergey Mikhailovich Brin |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | August 21, 1973 |
| Age | 52 years old (2026) |
| Birthplace | Moscow, USSR (now Russia) |
| Nationality | American (naturalized 1979) |
| Profession | Google co-founder, Alphabet board member |
| Net Worth | $154 Billion (2026) |
| Spouse | Nicole Shanahan (m. 2018, div. 2023); Anne Wojcicki (m. 2007, div. 2015) |
| Known For | Co-founding Google (1998), early Brain Bus moonshot leadership, Alphabet co-founder |
Walk Through the Article
Frequently Asked Questions About Sergey Brin’s Net Worth
What is Sergey Brin’s net worth in 2026?
Sergey Brin’s net worth in 2026 is estimated at $154 billion, making him the world’s fifth-richest person according to Forbes. Virtually all of his wealth is in Alphabet (Google’s parent company) Class B super-voting shares.
How did Sergey Brin make his money?
Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page in September 1998 while a PhD student at Stanford University. The two had developed the PageRank search algorithm together starting in 1996. Google went public in August 2004 at a $23 billion valuation, instantly making Brin a billionaire at age 31. He served as Alphabet’s President from 2015 until December 2019.
Who is Sergey Brin’s wife?
Brin has been married twice. His first marriage was to Anne Wojcicki, the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe (the genetic testing company), from May 2007 until their divorce in June 2015. The couple have two children together. Brin then married Nicole Shanahan, an attorney and tech executive, in November 2018; they divorced in May 2023 after Shanahan had a brief publicized affair with Elon Musk.
How old is Sergey Brin?
Sergey Brin was born on August 21, 1973, in Moscow, USSR. His Jewish family emigrated to the United States in 1979 when Brin was 6 years old, fleeing antisemitism. He turned 52 years old in August 2025.
How much of Alphabet does Sergey Brin own?
Brin owns approximately 6% of Alphabet’s total economic interest, but holds about 25% of the voting power via Class B super-voting shares (each entitled to 10 votes vs. Class A’s single vote). Combined with Larry Page’s similar stake, the two co-founders together control over 50% of Alphabet’s voting shares.
Why did Sergey Brin step down from Google?
Brin stepped down as President of Alphabet in December 2019, alongside Larry Page’s resignation as Alphabet CEO. The two co-founders said in a joint letter that with the company restructured under Alphabet and Sundar Pichai performing strongly as Google CEO, “it’s the natural time to simplify our management structure.” Brin remains an Alphabet board member and major shareholder.
What was Sergey Brin’s role at X (Google X / Alphabet)?
Brin was the primary executive sponsor of Google’s “moonshot” projects from 2012 onward, leading the X division (formerly Google X) that pursued ambitious R&D bets including Google Glass, self-driving cars (later Waymo), Project Loon (internet via balloons), and the Brain Bus AI initiative. He was personally identified with the Google Glass launch in 2013-2014.
Where does Sergey Brin live?
Brin lives primarily in Los Altos, California, in a $20+ million estate. He also owns a significant property near Lake Tahoe and has been a longtime owner of yachts, including the Dragonfly and more recently a $250+ million yacht reportedly named “Dragonfly II.” He is an active gymnast and trapeze enthusiast.
Has Sergey Brin given to charity?
Brin signed the Giving Pledge with Larry Page and they have committed to giving away the majority of their wealth. Brin and his ex-wife Anne Wojcicki co-founded the Brin Wojcicki Foundation. He has donated heavily to Parkinson’s disease research (his mother and great-aunt both suffered from it; he has the LRRK2 gene mutation that elevates his own risk), which has totaled hundreds of millions of dollars.
How much has Sergey Brin invested in AI?
Brin has returned to active engagement at Google since 2022, particularly around the company’s AI strategy. He has been hands-on coding for the Gemini AI model team and reportedly works out of Google’s Mountain View campus several days a week despite no longer holding an official executive role.
What is the 23andMe connection?
Brin’s first wife Anne Wojcicki co-founded 23andMe, the consumer DNA testing company. Brin himself was an early funder of 23andMe and has been tested using its service. He publicly revealed in 2008 that he carries the LRRK2 G2019S mutation, which significantly increases his risk of developing Parkinson’s disease — a finding that has motivated his subsequent funding of Parkinson’s research.
How Does Sergey Brin Make Money?
| Income Source | Estimated Amount | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet Class B and Class A shares | $150B+ | Cumulative | Approximately 6% economic interest in Alphabet; ~25% voting power via Class B super-voting shares |
| Annual Google/Alphabet salary (2002-2019) | $1/year | Annual (personal) | One-dollar salary tradition; no stock grants or bonuses ever taken as Google co-founder |
| Alphabet annual dividend (post-2024) | $200M+/year | Annual (personal) | Alphabet’s first dividend of $0.20/share initiated April 2024; quarterly distributions on Brin’s stake |
| Stock sales via 10b5-1 plans | $8B+ cumulative | Cumulative | Brin and Page have steadily sold portions of their stakes since 2019 through pre-arranged trading plans |
| Personal investments (Tesla, biotech, 23andMe) | $1B+ | Cumulative | Early Tesla investor; Brin Wojcicki Foundation grants; major Parkinson’s research funding |
| Estimated Total Net Worth | $154 Billion (2026, per Forbes Real-Time Billionaires) | ||
Career Timeline
Brin was born in Moscow on August 21, 1973, to mathematician parents Michael Brin and Eugenia Brin. The family emigrated to the United States in May 1979 when Sergey was 6, settling in Adelphi, Maryland. Brin attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School and earned a BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland in 1993 (graduating in three years).
He enrolled in the Computer Science PhD program at Stanford in 1993 on a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He met Larry Page in 1995 during a campus orientation tour Brin was leading for prospective new students. The two collaborated on the PageRank research project from 1996. They incorporated Google Inc. on September 4, 1998.
Brin served as Google’s President (Technology) from 2001 to 2011, while Eric Schmidt served as CEO. After Page returned as CEO in 2011, Brin shifted focus to Google’s “moonshot” R&D projects through Google X (later just “X”). When Alphabet was created in October 2015, Brin became Alphabet’s President. He stepped down from that role in December 2019, alongside Page’s resignation as CEO.
Early Life
Brin’s family fled the Soviet Union in 1979 due to antisemitism that limited Soviet Jews’ educational and career opportunities — Brin’s father had been refused entry to the University of Moscow Astronomy department because he was Jewish. The family arrived in the United States with virtually nothing. Sergey has cited his refugee background as the source of his entrepreneurial drive.
He attended Mishkan Torah Synagogue Hebrew School and went to Paint Branch Montessori School for elementary. He skipped a grade and enrolled at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in his early teens, completing it in three years before going to the University of Maryland.
Personal Life
Brin married Anne Wojcicki, then-CEO of 23andMe, in The Bahamas in May 2007. They had two children together. The couple announced their separation in August 2013 (with reports that Brin had been romantically involved with Amanda Rosenberg, a Google Glass marketing director) and finalized divorce in June 2015. Brin married Nicole Shanahan, an attorney and AI-focused tech entrepreneur, in November 2018. They had one daughter. The marriage ended in divorce in May 2023.
Little-Known Facts
- Brin’s first language was Russian; he didn’t speak English fluently until he was 8 or 9.
- He is an avid trampoline gymnast and aerial silks practitioner.
- Brin holds dual citizenship (USA and a permanent residency status in another country he has not publicly disclosed).
- He was an early investor in Tesla (along with Larry Page); Page reportedly funded Elon Musk’s electric-car company before its 2008 near-bankruptcy.
- Brin was reportedly the largest known donor to the 2024 Ukrainian war relief effort in Silicon Valley, having funded humanitarian air-transport operations.
Also Read:
- Larry Page Net Worth 2026 — Brin’s Google co-founder, worth $168B
- Sundar Pichai Net Worth 2026 — Current Alphabet CEO worth $1.5B
- Bill Gates Net Worth 2026 — Microsoft co-founder worth $115B
Net Worth Over Time
Brin became a billionaire in 2004 at age 31 when Google went public at a $23 billion valuation. He crossed $10 billion in 2007, $50 billion in 2017, and $100 billion in 2021. Through 2020, his net worth tracked Larry Page’s nearly identically — both held essentially equal Google equity packages. By 2026 his net worth is around $154 billion, slightly behind Page’s ~$168 billion (the differential comes from different timing of stock sales and personal investments).
Awards and Recognition
Brin and Page jointly won the Marconi Prize (2004), Founder’s Award of the American Academy of Achievement (2003), and the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award (2008). Brin was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2004 alongside Page. He received an honorary MBA from the IE Business School (2008) and an honorary doctorate from the University of Maryland.
Philanthropy
Brin signed the Giving Pledge in 2008 and has been one of the largest individual funders of Parkinson’s disease research globally — having donated over $1.3 billion through the Brin Wojcicki Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and direct grants. His funding has supported the development of LRRK2 inhibitors and the establishment of the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative.
