Man who funded Google - Kavitark Ram Shriram
Kavitark Ram Shriram: Founding Director of Google
It all began at Stanford University where Larry Page and Sergey Brin were PhD students working on the PageRank algorithm. When they decided to float their own company, they approached Kavitark Ram Shriram. Ram signed one of the first-ever cheques to fund Google—a $500,000 investment that changed tech history.
Kavitark Ram was born in Bangalore and raised in Chennai. Despite losing his father at the age of three, his academic journey was stellar. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Loyola College (Madras University) and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Before becoming a billionaire angel investor, Ram held key roles at Netscape and served as President of Junglee (acquired by Amazon). He worked closely with Jeff Bezos as a Vice President at Amazon before launching his own firm, Sherpalo Ventures.
2026 Wealth & Impact
Currently residing in Menlo Park, California, Ram Shriram owns millions of shares in Alphabet (Google). As of 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at $2.8 Billion. He is also a renowned philanthropist, having donated over $61 million to Stanford’s bioengineering school.
A great admirer of Steve Jobs, Ram believes the next major technological revolutions will happen exclusively through mobile devices. For students in India, his journey from Chennai to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley serves as a testament to the power of a strong foundation in Mathematics and the courage to back new ideas.
Ravindra Zinjurke
Career Counselor, Journalist & Educator