Rajeev Motwani may not have been a billionaire or a famous tech executive, but his impact on the world is unmatchable. As a mentor to Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the creators of Google, he played a crucial role in the development of one of the most widely used tools today—the Google search engine.
Born in Jammu and raised in New Delhi, Motwani attended St Columba’s School, where Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan also studied. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur with a degree in computer science, Motwani pursued further studies in the US, earning a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.
Motwani became known as the “unofficial mentor” to Google’s founders, helping them build their technology and find financial support. Sergey Brin even referred to him as his "friend and teacher."
In addition to his work with Google, Motwani was involved with several other companies, including Kaboodle, Mimosa Systems, and Vuclip. He also served as an advisor to Sequoia Capital and taught as a professor at Stanford University. His contributions to computer science were recognized when he won the Godel Prize in 2001.
Tragically, Motwani passed away in 2009 at the age of 47 due to accidental drowning. He left behind his wife Asha Jadeja Motwani and two daughters, Naitri and Anya. His legacy, however, lives on in the projects and people he touched throughout his remarkable career.
