Skip to main content

Eric Schmidt talks all-things Google with The Economist (Video)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/WdtCUbdxJU8?t=1s]

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt sat down with The Economist’s Daniel Franklin on Dec. 6, as part of the executive’s ongoing media tour, to discuss everything from driverless cars and the mobile landscape to user data and “magical journalism devices.”

One of the more notable tidbits (at 25:40) regards why Marissa Mayer and other Googlers really left Google to become CEOs of Yahoo and other competing companies such AOL and Facebook. Schmidt suggested they were unable to move up the corporate ladder so they ultimately moved on:

“Well, in each case, they became—let’s see—CEOs of important and powerful companies. And that position has been occupied by Larry and myself, so I think perhaps they wanted a career path that wasn’t in front of them. Each of them is fantastic. And if you look, each of them sort of trained at Google —independently strong, they’ll make a good showing.”

Related articles

Earlier today, Schmidt spoke with Bloomberg to talk Android vs. Apple. The former CEO notably claimed Android is leading over Apple at a rate similar to Microsoft’s growth in desktop software during the 90s.

Google cofounder Larry Page succeeded Schmidt as Google’s chief executive officer in April 2011, and now Schmidt, among many other tasks, acts as a kind of executive spokesperson for the Mountain View, Calif.-based company.

During the last year alone, Schmidt talked publicly and candidly about Google’s position on free speech and privacy, the fearful repercussions of the Internet, and even robots and holographic telepresence.

The Economist just published the full interview on YouTube; check out the 34-minute long video above.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel