Who Is Rajeev Motwani, The Man Behind Creation Of Google, IIT-an And Indian Professor Who Died At 47

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JUNE 9, 2023

New Delhi: Internet and search engine giant Google is today a name to reckon with. We all know that Google was founded by computer scientists Larry Page and Sergey Brin –both were PhD candidates at Stanford University in California. However, there is one name behind the internet search engine giant, without whom, Google would not have been what it is today.

Today we shall tell you about late professor Rajeev Motwani, whose mentorship and guidance led to the formation of Google as we know today.

Rajeev Motwani was a renowned Stanford professor who was well-known for mentoring and counselling the founders of firms like Google and PayPal

Rajeev Motwani’s Glorious Career

Motwani, a student at New Delhi’s famous St. Columba’s School, was born on March 26, 1962, in Jammu and Kashmir. He arrived in the US to complete his PhD in computer science at University of Berkeley in 1988 after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in computer science from IIT Kanpur in 1983. He soon attended Stanford shortly after that.

He contributed to the creation of cutting-edge data and management ideas as the project’s originator, the Mining Data at Stanford Project (MIDAS). Motwani won the Godel Prize in 2001 for his work on the PCP theorem and its applications to the hardness of approximation. He was renowned for his theoretical computer science research.

Motwani Died At An Early Age Of 47 In An Unusual Drowning Accident

Rajeev Motwani was only 47 when passed away in an unusual drowning accident. The body of Motwani was discovered in his Palo Alto, California, backyard pool. His passing has shocked the Silicon Valley and the global tech community because he was credited with being the primary thinker behind several significant internet innovations, including PayPal and Google. The cause of his passing was unknown, according to the authorities. He was discovered dead in the pool, and paramedics were called.

Google Co-founder Sergey Brin Mourning Motwani’s Death

On his blog, Google co-founder Sergey Brin described Rajeev Motwani as his friend and teacher, adding that “Today, whenever you use a piece of technology, there is a good chance a little bit of Rajeev Motwani is behind it.” As Google emerged from Stanford, Brin wrote: “Rajeev remained a friend and advisor as he has with many people and startups since. Of all the faculty at Stanford, it is with Rajeev that I have stayed the closest and I will miss him dearly. Yet his legacy and personality lives on in the students, projects, and companies he has touched.”

Motwani Impacted Hundreds Of Business Owners And Students 

At a San Francisco gathering, Motwani’s longtime buddy Ron Conway told a group of techies that he had an impact on hundreds of business owners and students and that he never turned down an invitation.

“For those of you who didn’t know Rajeev, you might get the impression that he was your typical Silicon Valley insider — loud, brash, full of bravado.” “Rajeev was soft spoken and gentle. He was self-confident but didn’t feel the need to prove anything. He didn’t speak to hear his own voice. And he didn’t need to be the centre of attention.


Courtesy/Source: Zee News / PTI