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DOJ’s Historic Trial Against Alphabet Kicks Off – How Will Sundar Pichai Do In Wartime? 9/12/23

TechCheck

CNBC

Disruptors, Cnbc, Investing, Tech, Management, Business, Technology, Faang

4.566 Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2023

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The DOJ's landmark tech monopoly trial against Alphabet kicked off today – with the government grilling its first witness Google Chief Economist Hal Varian about his advice to the company on antitrust issues. It’s reminiscent of the DOJ’s big tech trial of 20 years ago against Microsoft, when Bill Gates was the big personality. This time around though, all eyes are on Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai -- and though he's often been called "soft-spoken" and a "nice guy," his track record so far suggests he may be the wartime CEO that Alphabet needs.

Transcript

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0:00.0

The DOJ's trial against Alphabet kicking off today.

0:02.8

Its biggest antitrust case since facing off with Microsoft two decades ago.

0:07.2

Back then, when the big personality was Bill Gates,

0:09.7

this time it might be Alphabet Sundar-Pichai.

0:12.2

Our dude Rabossa is digging into that for today's tech check.

0:14.8

Hi Dean.

0:15.8

Let's talk about him.

0:16.5

He's often described as thoughtful, soft-spoken, a peacetime CEO.

0:20.8

And this is a real headline from the journal a few years ago.

0:23.4

Senator Pachai is a really nice guy.

0:25.8

Is that enough?

0:26.8

Guys, it may be time to throw out that narrative.

0:29.8

Sunder Pichai is calculating and efficient, arguably the wartime CEO that Google needs as they

0:34.7

get ready to face off with the Department of Justice in the first major monopoly case and decades.

0:39.6

Since taking the job in 2015, Senator Pichai has increased the value of Google by more than 300% while facing

0:45.6

critics inside and outside of the company. Internally, he has had to navigate an increasingly

0:50.7

delicate and polarized corporate culture, walkouts turmoil over discriminatory policies,

0:56.0

contracts to government agencies,

0:58.0

an AI research center in China.

1:00.0

He's faced all of it, but none of it has impacted the business in a material way,

1:04.0

and Google is still seen as one of the most desirable places to work here in the Bay Area.

1:09.2

When Pichai did have to cut the workforce, he did so swiftly and efficiently. In January he laid off

...

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