Retired. World's 10th richest. But why is Google cofounder Sergey Brin back to a full-time job?
Once a visionary pioneer who transformed the internet,
Sergey Brin
,
Google
's co-founder and the world's 10th richest person with a net worth of $146 billion, surprised the tech world by stepping back into the spotlight. After retiring in 2019 from his role as president of
Alphabet
, Google's parent company, Brin had seemingly shifted focus to ventures like airship startups, Parkinson's research, and real estate. Yet, in a dramatic turn, he's returned to full-time work — driven by one powerful force:
artificial intelligence
.
A Tech Titan's Unexpected Comeback
At 51, Sergey Brin is 'working pretty much every day now,' fully immersed in Google's latest
AI projects
. His return wasn't just a casual re-entry; it followed the seismic impact of OpenAI's
ChatGPT
in 2022, a breakthrough that shook the industry and spurred Google to accelerate its own AI ambitions. Brin himself acknowledged the urgency, telling
Big Technology
, 'Honestly, anybody who's a computer scientist should not be retired right now. There's just never been a greater problem and opportunity—greater cusp of technology.'
This renewed zeal positions Brin at the heart of Google's AI race, where his technical mastery is fueling the development of Gemini, the company's ambitious
artificial general intelligence
(AGI) model. Unlike earlier, narrower AI tools, Gemini aims to be a unified system capable of solving diverse human tasks—a goal Brin boldly declared: 'We fully intend that Gemini will be the very first AGI.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
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From Retirement Projects to AI Leadership
Brin's retirement phase was far from idle. He invested in LTA Research, an airship startup, contributed to medical research on Parkinson's disease, and dabbled in real estate. Yet, none of these pursuits matched the pull of AI, a technology he now calls 'far more exciting' than any previous revolution he's witnessed since Google's early days.
Speaking at Google's I/O developer conference in May 2025, Brin shared the scale of the challenge. Google is expanding its computational infrastructure at an unprecedented pace to meet soaring demand. 'For us, we're building out compute as quickly as we can. We just have a huge amount of demand,' he revealed, highlighting that resource constraints have even forced Google to turn down cloud customers. This race to scale computing power underscores just how critical AI has become to the tech giant's future.
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Why AI Is Different — and Why Brin Is All In
Brin's journey from Web 1.0 to today's AI revolution gives him a rare perspective. He insists AI's transformative potential eclipses any technology shift he's witnessed. The excitement stems not only from AI's power but also from the 'greater cusp of technology' it represents—a watershed moment where machines could begin solving complex human problems with an intelligence that rivals or surpasses us.
In a fireside chat last year at the All-In Summit, Brin hinted at his deep involvement, explaining how Google is moving away from multiple small AI models toward a singular, unified system. This paradigm shift could redefine how technology integrates with everyday life, from search to personal assistants to entirely new fields yet to be imagined.
The Man Behind the Tech
Sergey Brin's return to full-time work is more than a comeback; it's a testament to the magnetic pull of innovation. Despite stepping away from executive roles, his passion for pushing boundaries remains undiminished. With a fortune of $146 billion and decades of shaping the digital world behind him, Brin's renewed focus on AI highlights a profound truth: even the wealthiest and most accomplished innovators are drawn back to the frontier when a technology promises to reshape humanity's future.
In the relentless race toward artificial general intelligence, Sergey Brin is not just watching from the sidelines—he's back in the game, pushing Google to redefine what's possible. And for the world's 10th richest man, the greatest adventure might just be beginning.
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