Google cofounder Sergey Brin climbed to the world’s third-richest person on Tuesday after Alphabet’s stock rally pushed the company’s market value past $4 trillion.
As Alphabet shares rose, Brin overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison on global wealth rankings.
Alphabet stock gained 1.3% to just over $337 in afternoon trading, after rising as much as 2.4% earlier in the session. Over the past seven trading days, the stock has advanced 6.6%, driving the company into rare valuation territory.
With this move, Alphabet became the fourth company in history to cross the $4 trillion threshold, joining Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple. Microsoft and Apple have since slipped back below the level, leaving Alphabet firmly above it for now.
Meanwhile, declines elsewhere helped reshuffle the rankings. Oracle shares fell 1.5%, while Amazon dropped nearly 2%, accelerating Brin’s move higher.
Brin’s net worth surges with Alphabet rally
According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List, Brin’s fortune increased by $4.9 billion in a single day, reaching $255.6 billion.
That gain places him behind only Elon Musk, whose net worth stands at about $725.3 billion, and fellow Google cofounder Larry Page, valued at roughly $277 billion.
As Brin moved up, Bezos slipped to fourth place with an estimated $253.2 billion, while Ellison fell to fifth at $251.3 billion.
Unlike Page, Brin holds fewer Alphabet Class C shares and has steadily reduced his holdings over the past few years. At the same time, he has directed large portions of his Alphabet and Tesla stock toward research focused on Parkinson’s disease, a cause closely tied to his personal philanthropy.
AI momentum drives Alphabet higher
Alphabet’s stock has risen 65% in 2025, marking its strongest annual performance since 2009. Investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continues to fuel the rally.
That momentum strengthened further after Apple confirmed it would use Google’s Gemini AI to power parts of its AI strategy and future versions of Siri. The announcement gave Alphabet an immediate boost and signaled growing confidence in its AI capabilities.
Earlier this year, Google released Gemini 3, the latest version of its flagship AI model. The company also unveiled Ironwood, its seventh-generation AI chip, stepping up competition with Nvidia in AI infrastructure.
Despite broader concerns about stretched tech valuations, analysts remain optimistic. Citi recently named Alphabet a top pick for 2026, noting that nearly 70% of Google Cloud customers already use its AI tools. Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald echoed that view, pointing to Google’s decade-long investment in AI as a competitive advantage that rivals may struggle to match.
Founder wealth tracks Alphabet’s resurgence
As Alphabet’s valuation climbs, Brin’s return to the top tier of global wealth highlights how closely founder fortunes remain tied to the company’s renewed growth cycle.
This time, the driver is clear. Artificial intelligence has shifted Alphabet from a mature tech giant back into a growth narrative. For Brin, that shift has translated directly into one of the largest single-year wealth gains among global billionaires.
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The Google parent’s stock hit a new record after a new AI deal with Apple, pushing its market value above $4 trillion.
Photo: Forbes/ FilmMagic
