10 years as CEO, $1 billion richer: Sundar Pichai rides Alphabet's AI wave

Alphabet CEO joins the billionaire club as his net worth touches $1.1 billion, driven by a strong Q2 and artificial intelligence-led stock rally; marks 10 years as CEO amid rising capex on cloud and A

Sundar Pichai, the Indian-origin CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has officially joined the billionaire ranks. On Thursday, Pichai’s net worth crossed the billion-dollar mark, driven by a strong rally in Alphabet’s stock and continued business success. 

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Pichai’s estimated wealth stands at $1.1 billion. Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list puts it slightly higher at $1.2 billion.

 

Dip in salary, but net worth rises

Interestingly, Pichai’s overall compensation dropped sharply in 2024. According to Alphabet’s annual report, he earned $10.72 million this year — down from a staggering $226 million in 2022. The steep fall was due to the absence of a large stock grant he received in 2022, which is awarded once every three years. 

Despite the drop, his base salary has remained steady at $2 million annually. The rest of his earnings typically come from stock-based compensation and perks. 

Alphabet also increased its spending on his personal security in 2024. The company spent $8.27 million — 22 per cent more than last year — on services including residential security, monitoring, consultation, and travel protection.

 

Alphabet’s stock rally fuels billionaire status

Pichai’s growing wealth is largely tied to Alphabet’s robust performance in the second quarter of 2024. The tech giant reported better-than-expected profits of $28.2 billion on revenue of $96.4 billion. 

Following the earnings announcement, Alphabet’s stock surged by 4.1 per cent — its largest single-day gain in two months. This bump also lifted Pichai’s net worth, as he holds a 0.02 per cent stake in the company. 

Alphabet is currently valued at about $440 billion. The latest financial results reflect the company’s growing investment in artificial intelligence, which is boosting multiple business verticals, including Cloud, YouTube, and Google Play.

 

Alphabet to boost AI investments to $85 bn

Alphabet plans to significantly increase capital spending in 2025 to keep up with the booming demand for AI services. The company now estimates $85 billion in capital expenditures — $10 billion more than its previous forecast, Bloomberg reported. 

Though the initial reaction in after-hours trading was mixed, investors regained confidence after Pichai clarified that the hike is essential to meet customer needs in the AI space. Sales excluding traffic acquisition costs climbed to $81.7 billion, beating Bloomberg’s analyst average estimate of $79.6 billion.     

  

From Tamil Nadu to Silicon Valley

Born in Tamil Nadu, Pichai earned a scholarship to Stanford University in 1993. He joined Google in 2004 and rose through the ranks, leading teams behind Chrome and Android before becoming the chief executive in 2015. 

Despite his billionaire status, Pichai holds a relatively small stake in Alphabet and most of his wealth is in cash. 

Alphabet co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin remain among the world’s wealthiest individuals, with net worths of $171.2 billion and $160.4 billion, respectively.