Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai celebrated his birthday on June 10. The top executive turned 53 this Tuesday, continuing his extraordinary journey climbing the technology ladder.
In a recent podcast with Lex Fridman, Pichai recalled how during his childhood in Madras (now Chennai), even basic necessities were considered luxuries, and these formative years helped shape his approach to life.
Pichai described living without running water during severe droughts, when authorities would deliver water by trucks, allowing approximately eight buckets per household. He would stand in line with his brother and mother to collect their share.
He also remembered how telephones were scarce, with his family waiting five years to receive a rotary phone that “dramatically changed their lives.” People would visit their home specifically to make calls to loved ones.
The lack of technology affected everyday needs like accessing medical records.
Pichai explained how he would travel two hours to a hospital for blood test results, only to be told to return the following day – a process that technology has now reduced to minutes. These experiences ignited his passion for technology’s potential to transform lives. Born on June 10, 1972, in Chennai, Pichai grew up in a small two-room apartment with his family, and these humble beginnings inspired his path to becoming Google’s CEO.
