Editing Larry Page (section)

=== 2013–2015 ===
In January 2013, Page participated in a rare interview with ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', in which writer Steven Levy discussed Page's "10X" mentality—Google employees are expected to create products and services that are at least 10 times better than those of its competitors—in the introductory [[blurb]]. [[Astro Teller]], the head of [[Google X]], explained to Levy that 10X is "just core to who he [Page] is", while Page's "focus is on where the next 10X will come from."<ref name="Lev"/> In his interview with Levy, Page referred to the success of YouTube and Android as examples of "crazy" ideas that investors were not initially interested in, saying: "If you're not doing some things that are crazy, then you're doing the wrong things."<ref name="Lev"/> Page also stated he was "very happy" with the status of Google+, and discussed concerns over the Internet concerning the [[SOPA]] bill and an [[International Telecommunication Union]] proposal that had been recently introduced:<blockquote>"I do think the Internet's under much greater attack than it has been in the past. Governments are now afraid of the Internet because of the Middle East stuff, and so they're a little more willing to listen to what I see as a lot of commercial interests that just want to make money by restricting people's freedoms. But they've also seen a tremendous user reaction, like the backlash against SOPA. I think that governments fight users' freedoms at their peril."<ref name="Lev"/></blockquote>At the May 2013 I/O developers conference in San Francisco, Page delivered a keynote address and said "We're at maybe 1% of what is possible. Despite the faster change, we're still moving slow relative to the opportunities we have. I think a lot of that is because of the negativity [...] Every story I read is Google vs someone else. That's boring. We should be focusing on building the things that don't exist" and that he was "sad the Web isn't advancing as fast as it should be", citing a perceived focus on negativity and zero-sum games among some in the technology sector as a cause.<ref name="CNET">{{cite web |author=Shara Tibken |title=Google's Page: We should be building great things that don't exist |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-page-we-should-be-building-great-things-that-dont-exist/ |publisher=CNET |access-date=February 1, 2015 |date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120173341/http://www.cnet.com/news/googles-page-we-should-be-building-great-things-that-dont-exist/ |archive-date=January 20, 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In response to an audience question, Page noted an issue that Google had been experiencing with [[Microsoft]], whereby the latter made its Outlook program interoperable with Google but did not allow for [[backward compatibility]]—he referred to Microsoft's practice as "milking off". During the question-and-answer section of his keynote, Page expressed interest in [[Burning Man]], which Brin had previously praised—it was a motivating factor for the latter during Schmidt's hiring process, as Brin liked that Schmidt had attended the week-long annual event.<ref name="Car"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/google-io-2013-liveblog/#50512764920 |title = Liveblog: Get the Latest Updates From Google I/O 2013 |magazine = WIRED |access-date = March 8, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140221070752/http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/google-io-2013-liveblog#50512764920 |archive-date = February 21, 2014 |url-status=live |df = mdy-all |last1 = Honan |first1 = Mat }}</ref><ref name="CNET"/>

In September 2013, Page launched the independent [[Calico (company)|Calico]] initiative, a [[R&D]] project in the field of [[biotechnology]]. Google announced that Calico seeks to innovate and make improvements in the field of human health, and appointed Art Levinson, chairman of Apple's board and former CEO of [[Genentech]], to be the new division's CEO. Page's official statement read: "Illness and aging affect all our families. With some longer term, moonshot thinking around healthcare and [[biotechnology]], I believe we can improve millions of lives."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=September 18, 2013 |title=Google launches Calico, a new company tasked with extending human life |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/18/4744650/google-launches-calico-as-separate-company-to-improve-human-health |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202205940/http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/18/4744650/google-launches-calico-as-separate-company-to-improve-human-health |archive-date=February 2, 2015 |access-date=February 2, 2015 |website=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref>

Page participated in a March 2014 TedX conference that was held in [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada. The presentation was scripted by Page's chief [[Public relations|PR]] executive Rachel Whetstone, and Google's [[Chief marketing officer|CMO]] Lorraine Twohill, and a demonstration of an artificially intelligent computer program was displayed on a large screen.<ref name="Car"/>
Page responded to a question about corporations, noting that corporations largely get a "bad rap", which he stated was because they were probably doing the same incremental things they were doing "50 or 20 years ago". He went on to juxtapose that kind of incremental approach to his vision of Google counteracting calcification through driving technology innovation at a high rate. Page mentioned [[Elon Musk]] and [[SpaceX]]:<blockquote>"He [Musk] wants to go to Mars to back up humanity. That's a worthy goal. We have a lot of employees at Google who've become pretty wealthy. You're working because you want to change [[Earth|the world]] and make it better [...] I'd like for us to help out more than we are."<ref name="bi20140320">{{cite news |last=Yarow |first=Jay |title=LARRY PAGE: I Would Rather Give My Billions To Elon Musk Than Charity |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-elon-musk-2014-3 |access-date=December 28, 2014 |work=Business Insider |date=March 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229081516/http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-elon-musk-2014-3 |archive-date=December 29, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref></blockquote>Page also mentioned [[Nikola Tesla]] with regard to invention and commercialization:<blockquote>"Invention is not enough. [Nikola] Tesla invented the electric power we use, but he struggled to get it out to people. [You have to] combine both things []... invention and innovation focus, plus [...] a company that can really commercialize things and get them to people."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.quotery.com/quotes/invention-not-enough-nikola-tesla|title=Quote {{!}} Invention Is Not Enough. [Nikola] Tesla ...|access-date=September 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912092151/https://www.quotery.com/quotes/invention-not-enough-nikola-tesla|archive-date=September 12, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref></blockquote>Page announced a major management restructure in October 2014 so that he would no longer need to be responsible for day-to-day product-related decision making. In a memo, Page said that Google's core businesses would be able to progress in a typical manner, while he could focus on the next generation of ambitious projects, including [[Google X]] initiatives; access and energy, including [[Google Fiber]]; smart-home automation through [[Nest Labs]]; and [[biotechnology]] innovations under Calico.<ref name="techtimes.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18697/20141025/the-rise-and-rise-of-sundar-pichai-in-google-and-larry-page-is-loving-it.htm|title=The rise and rise of Sundar Pichai in Google (and Larry Page is loving it)|author=Nicole Arce|work=Tech Times|date=October 25, 2014|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204230323/http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18697/20141025/the-rise-and-rise-of-sundar-pichai-in-google-and-larry-page-is-loving-it.htm|archive-date=February 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Page maintained that he would continue as the unofficial "chief product officer".<ref name="Hel">{{cite web|author1=Miguel Helft|title=Google's Larry Page: The most ambitious CEO in the universe|url=http://fortune.com/2014/11/13/googles-larry-page-the-most-ambitious-ceo-in-the-universe/|website=Fortune|access-date=February 3, 2015|date=November 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202093602/http://fortune.com/2014/11/13/googles-larry-page-the-most-ambitious-ceo-in-the-universe/|archive-date=February 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent to the announcement, the executives in charge of Google's core products reported to then Google Senior Vice President [[Sundar Pichai]], who reported directly to Page.<ref name="techtimes.com"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/10/27/in-new-structure-google-ceo-page-aims-for-faster-better-decisions/|title=In New Structure, Google CEO Page Aims for 'Faster, Better Decisions'|author=Rolfe Winkler|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=October 27, 2014|access-date=August 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103080237/http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/10/27/in-new-structure-google-ceo-page-aims-for-faster-better-decisions//|archive-date=January 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobiletor.com/119663/sundar-pichai-india-google-product/|title=Sundar Pichai moved up the ladder to head Google's products business|author=Shreya Shetty|work=Mobiletor.com|date=October 26, 2014|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326115953/https://www.mobiletor.com/sundar-pichai-india-google-product/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Larry-Page-Promotes-Sundar-Pichai-to-Chief-of-Core-Google-Products-463126.shtml|title=Larry Page Promotes Sundar Pichai to Chief of Core Google Products|author=Gabriela Vatu|date=October 25, 2014|work=softpedia|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027201701/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Larry-Page-Promotes-Sundar-Pichai-to-Chief-of-Core-Google-Products-463126.shtml|archive-date=October 27, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a November 2014 interview, Page stated that he prioritized the maintenance of his "deep knowledge" of Google's products and breadth of projects, as it had been a key motivating factor for team members. About his then role as the company's CEO, Page said: "I think my job as CEO—I feel like it's always to be pushing people ahead."<ref name="Hel"/>

On August 10, 2015, Page announced on Google's official blog that Google had restructured into a number of subsidiaries of a new [[holding company]] known as [[Alphabet Inc.|Alphabet Inc]] with Page becoming CEO of [[Alphabet Inc.|Alphabet Inc]] and [[Sundar Pichai]] assuming the position of CEO of [[Google Inc.]] In his announcement, Page described the planned holding company as follows:<ref name="gIsForGoogle">{{Cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/google-alphabet.html|title=G is for Google|publisher=Google Official Blog|last=Page|first=Larry|date=August 10, 2015|access-date=August 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810210148/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/google-alphabet.html|archive-date=August 10, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><blockquote>"Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google. This newer Google is a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main Internet products contained in Alphabet instead. [...] Fundamentally, we believe this allows us more management scale, as we can run things independently that aren't very related."</blockquote>As well as explaining the origin of the company's name:<blockquote>"We liked the name Alphabet because it means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity's most important innovations, and is the core of how we index with Google search! We also like that it means alpha‑bet ([[Alpha (finance)|Alpha]] is investment return above benchmark), which we strive for!"</blockquote>Page wrote that the motivation behind the reorganization is to make Google "cleaner and more accountable." He also wrote that there was a desire to improve "the transparency and oversight of what we're doing" and to allow greater control of unrelated companies previously within the Google ecosystem.<ref name="gIsForGoogle"/><ref name="wire-2015-new-company">{{cite journal|last=Metz|first=Cade|title=A New Company Called Alphabet Now Owns Google|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/08/new-company-called-alphabet-owns-google/|journal=[[Wired (website)|Wired]]|access-date=August 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122143410/https://www.wired.com/2015/08/new-company-called-alphabet-owns-google/|archive-date=November 22, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Page|first=Larry|author-link1=Larry Page|title=G is for Google |url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/google-alphabet.html |website=Official Google Blog |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810210148/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/google-alphabet.html |archive-date=August 10, 2015|url-status=live|date=August 10, 2015}}</ref>

Page has not been on any press conferences since 2015 and has not presented at product launches or earnings calls since 2013. The ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' termed the reorganization into Alphabet a clever retirement plan allowing Page to retain control over Google, at the same time relinquishing all responsibilities over it. Executives at Alphabet describe Page as a "futurist", highly detached from day-to-day business dealings, and more focused on moon-shot projects. While some managers of Alphabet companies speak of Page as intensely involved, others say that his rare office check-ins are "akin to a royal visit".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-09-13/larry-page-is-a-no-show-with-google-under-a-harsh-spotlight|title=Where in the World Is Larry Page?|last1=Bergen|first1=Mark|last2=Carr|first2=Austin|date=September 13, 2018|magazine=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918092518/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-09-13/larry-page-is-a-no-show-with-google-under-a-harsh-spotlight|archive-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>