Sergey Brin & Anne Wojcicki: The Google Affair That Rocked Silicon Valley
A Google co-founder's affair with a Google Glass employee -- while married to the 23andMe CEO
Key Facts
What Happened
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and one of the wealthiest people on Earth, married Anne Wojcicki in May 2007 in a low-key ceremony in the Bahamas. Wojcicki was no ordinary spouse -- she was the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, the genetic testing company, and her sister Susan was CEO of YouTube. The Brin-Wojcicki union was Silicon Valley royalty.
The marriage unraveled when it emerged that Brin was having an affair with Amanda Rosenberg, a Google Glass marketing manager. The relationship created chaos inside Google, where personal and professional boundaries among executives were already notoriously blurred. Brin and Wojcicki separated in 2013, and the divorce was finalized in June 2015.
The financial fallout was limited by a prenuptial agreement. Despite Brin's net worth of approximately $30 billion at the time of separation, the prenup reportedly restricted Wojcicki's share of Google stock. However, Google had invested in 23andMe, creating complex cross-ownership issues. The settlement details were kept private, but reports indicated Wojcicki received stock and assets worth significantly less than a community property split would have yielded.
The divorce highlighted the tangled web of Silicon Valley relationships, where founders marry founders, companies invest in spousal ventures, and personal betrayals have professional consequences. Brin's affair with a subordinate also raised questions about Google's workplace culture. Despite the personal drama, both parties moved on: Wojcicki continued leading 23andMe, and Brin returned to a more active role at Google's parent company Alphabet.
Legal Breakdown: Prenups & Infidelity in Tech Marriages
Prenups in Community Property States
California's community property law would have entitled Wojcicki to 50% of all assets acquired during the marriage, including the appreciation of Brin's Google shares. The prenup overrode this default, significantly limiting her payout. This case demonstrates that prenups can save billions -- literally -- in community property states.
Cross-Ownership Complications
Google Ventures had invested in Wojcicki's 23andMe, and Google provided 23andMe with data infrastructure. When the marriage dissolved, untangling business relationships from personal ones required corporate lawyers alongside family lawyers. Spouses who run businesses with financial ties to each other face unique divorce complications.
Infidelity and Prenup Enforcement
Some prenups include infidelity clauses that modify the terms if cheating occurs. Whether the Brin-Wojcicki prenup had such a clause is unknown, but California courts generally do not consider fault (including adultery) when dividing property. A prenup's financial terms typically stand regardless of who caused the marriage to fail.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Prenups in community property states like California can save billions. Without one, Wojcicki would have been entitled to half of Brin's Google fortune.
- →When both spouses run businesses with financial connections, divorce requires corporate and family law expertise working together.
- →California is a no-fault state -- adultery does not typically affect property division, even when it destroys the marriage.
- →Silicon Valley relationships create unique entanglements where personal betrayals have corporate consequences.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.