There was massive fallout at Google this week after a senior engineer, James Damore, released a controversial memo.
The situation snowballed from there, forcing Google CEO Sundar Pichai to cut short his family vacation.
“The past few days have been very difficult for many at the company, and we need to find a way to debate issues on which we might disagree – while doing so in line with our Code of Conduct,” Pichai wrote in a companywide memo.
Pichai, who was appointed CEO in 2015 and is largely beloved by employees, made $199 million in 2016. His compensation was mostly in stock, not salary, Business Insider previously reported.
Here’s a look at the daily routine of the man at the helm of Google:
He typically wakes up between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Source: Recode
Pichai may run an internet behemoth, but he's old school about the way he consumes the news. "Believe it or not, I read a physical paper every morning," he told Recode. Pichai always reaches for a print copy of the Wall Street Journal and checks The New York Times online.
Source: Recode
While he's reading, Pichai usually eats an omelet for breakfast. The Chennai, India native also keeps up what he calls his "very English" habit of drinking a cup of tea.
Source: Recode
This morning routine helps Pichai kick-start his busy day. "I'm not a morning person, so I need my time with my paper and tea to wake up and kind of get going," he told Recode.
Source: Recode
Next, Pichai gets dressed for the day. The CEO usually adopts a casual but put-together look that Buzzfeed's Mat Honan describes as "Banana Republic dad."
Source: Buzzfeed
Pichai isn't a flashy leader. In fact, the CEO's meteoric rise at Google has been attributed to even temper, empathy, and thoughtfulness.
Source: Business Insider
This has resulted in his massive popularity within the company. Pichai was rated one of the most popular CEOs on Glassdoor in 2017, receiving a 96% approval rating from respondents.
Source: Business Insider, Glassdoor
Pichai is close with former Google CEO and cofounder Larry Page, and is known throughout the company as Page's "interpreter" of sorts. In 2014, one anonymous Googler told Business Insider that Pichai is "the Aaron to Larry's Moses."
Source: Business Insider
He also stood out for his amazing numerical memory. It's a skill Pichai has had since childhood, when he noticed he had knack for recalling phone numbers.
Source: Business Insider, Business Insider
Pichai's leadership style is reflected in meetings. He reportedly has a habit of quietly listening to everyone on his team. Once everyone else is finished speaking, the CEO will often throw out "an idea that could work for everyone," according to Business Insider.
Source: Business Insider, Business Insider
Pichai takes meetings on the go, when he can. "It's not unusual for him to wander away in the middle of a meeting, only to return with the solution to whatever problem is being discussed," reported Inc.
Source: Inc
Apparently, all that walking helps Pichai think. "I love to pace and actually to think I have to start walking," Pichai told Recode.
Source: Recode
When he's not on the move, Pichai works in an office that's "clean to the point of being spartan," Dieter Bohn reported for the Verge.
Source: The Verge
Pichai is a vegetarian, and if he gets a chance, he tries to carve out some time to exercise later in the day.
Source: Recode
He's also an avid fan of cricket — which he excelled at in high school.
Source: Business Insider, Youtube
At the end of the day, Pichai goes home to a "shockingly modest" Los Altos Hills home, according to Buzzfeed. He lives there with his wife and two children.
Source: Buzzfeed
The family also has a pup named Jeffree.
Jeffree’s first day as a #noogler #doogler. Will get him started on coding once we get through potty training 🙂 #NationalPuppyDay pic.twitter.com/ltVC8Us2lD
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 23, 2017
Source: Business Insider
Pichai strives to not take work home with him. He told Recode that he avoids testing Google prototypes in his house.
Source: Recode
Back in 2015, Pichai promised to be home in time to put his kids to bed himself every night.
Source: Buzzfeed
Whatever the day might bring, Pichai stresses that it's important to keep things in perspective. Back in January, he told a group of Indian students to "loosen up" and make time for fun. "It's a long road, setbacks actually don't matter," he said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Source: Wall Street Journal