Alphabet expects the board to appoint a nonexecutive chairman. The launch of Gmail, Maps and the Chrome browser; the acquisition of YouTube in 2006 and the rise of Android as the world’s most popular mobile operating system were accomplished all with Schmidt participation.
He argued in Google’s corner when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission launched an antitrust probe into its search service, and negotiated for the company in overseas jurisdictions that are more critical of the company’s practices than the U.S. Schmidt became an ambassador for the company to other governments and corporate leaders. Records on private life say he had romantic relationships with several women while maintaining his marriage. Schmidt also spent more time working on his philanthropic endeavors. He owns about 1.3 percent of the Mountain View, California-based company, and is worth about $13.6 billion, ranking him 96th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Eric Schmidt remains one of the most influential tech executives in history.
