Introduction
Anthony Levandowski is a former Google and Uber engineer who rose to prominence for his work in autonomous vehicles. He is also known for being involved in a high-profile legal battle between Google’s self-driving car division, Waymo, and Uber. Levandowski was later indicted for theft of trade secrets and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Despite his fall from grace, many people are still curious about Anthony Levandowski net worth.
Early Life and Education
Anthony Levandowski was born on March 15, 1980, in Brussels, Belgium. His parents were both American and worked for the United States Foreign Service. Levandowski spent his childhood in Belgium, France, and the United States. He attended high school in California and went on to study mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Career in the Tech Industry
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Anthony Levandowski started his career as an engineer at 4Frontiers, a company that focused on space exploration. He then moved on to work at several prominent tech companies, including Intel and Google. At Google, Levandowski was part of the team that developed the company’s self-driving car technology.
Anthony Levandowski’s Contributions to Autonomous Vehicles
Anthony Levandowski is credited with being one of the pioneers of the autonomous vehicle industry. At Google, he was instrumental in the development of the company’s self-driving car technology. Levandowski also founded his own autonomous vehicle startup, Otto, which was later acquired by Uber.
Waymo vs. Uber Lawsuit
In 2017, Waymo filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging that Anthony Levandowski had stolen trade secrets from the company before leaving to start his own self-driving truck startup, Otto. The lawsuit alleged that Levandowski had downloaded thousands of confidential files from Waymo before leaving the company. The legal battle between Waymo and Uber lasted for several months and was highly publicized.
Criminal Indictment and Sentencing
In 2019, Anthony Levandowski was indicted on 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets. He later pleaded guilty to one count of stealing trade secrets from Google’s self-driving car division. In August 2020, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $95,000 fine, and a $756,499.22 restitution payment to Waymo.
Anthony Levandowski Net Worth
As of 2023, Anthony Levandowski’s net worth is estimated to be around $50 million. This net worth comes from his career in the tech industry, including his work at Google, Otto, and other companies. Levandowski also received a significant payout from Uber when the company acquired Otto in 2016, which is believed to have contributed to his overall net worth.