Executive departures and love triangles have made Google a hot topic in Silicon Valley

Executive departures and a love triangle have made Google a hot topic in Silicon Valley. Whenever summer turns to autumn, the focus of heated discussions in Silicon Valley is often dominated by the next generation iPhone. But this...

Whenever summer turns to autumn, the focus of heated discussions in Silicon Valley is often dominated by the next generation iPhone. But this year, it's Google's secrets that have people buzzing, not Apple.

News from Google on Wednesday presented a love triangle involving Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Android executive Hugo Barra, who announced on the same day that he would leave the company to join its competitor, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer.

Technology blog AllThingsD reported on Wednesday that Brin had separated from his wife, Anne Wojcicki, and was dating a former Google employee who had an affair with Barra.

Do you understand why this has become a hot topic in Silicon Valley?

This news attracted attention on various technology blogs and caused discussions among industry insiders.

Two people with knowledge of the relationships, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the couple had separated and that Breen was involved with Barra's ex-girlfriend. Google declined to comment on employees' private lives.

Barra's departure is obviously a loss for Google, as he was one of the Android company's most public figures, often onstage to demonstrate new products, most recently last month in San Francisco when he unveiled the new Nexus 7 tablet.

However, he will continue to promote Android at Xiaomi, the fast-growing Chinese company he will join and a competitor of Google's mobile phone company Motorola. The Android team has been in turmoil since its founder and former director (Andy Rubin) resigned in March.

Brin and Wojcicki, who have two children, held a secret wedding in the Bahamas six years ago. The couple, dressed in swimsuits, invited guests to swim to a sandbar where the ceremony took place.

Their separation is also related to other Google businesses. Wojcicki, a frequent presence at Google events, is the CEO and co-founder of 23andMe, a personal genetics company in which Google has invested. She is also the sister of Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president in charge of Google's advertising business. When the latter met the founders of Google in their early years, she rented her garage to them to start the company.

According to a person familiar with the matter, the couple has a prenuptial agreement and if they divorce, Brin will retain the voting rights he obtained through his stockholding in Google. Brin’s stocks account for most of his $23 billion (approximately 140 billion yuan) fortune. The two will also continue their family philanthropy, the person said.

As for Google's rules on dating between executives and employees, its code of conduct says relationships between co-workers that create an "actual or apparent conflict of interest" could result in the reassignment of job responsibilities or the termination of a contract. Brin currently oversees special projects at Google X, including Google Glass.

>Translated by: Lin Mengke

Reprinted from the New York Times Chinese website