Anthony Levandowski is a French-American self-driving car engineer known for co-founding Google’s self-driving car program, now Waymo, in 2009. He was a technical lead until 2016. In 2016, Levandowski co-founded and sold Otto, an autonomous trucking company, to Uber Technologies.
He later co-founded Pronto, an autonomous trucking company that completed a cross-country drive in an autonomous vehicle in October 2018. Levandowski was indicted in 2019 on 33 federal charges related to alleged theft of self-driving car trade secrets.
He pled guilty to one charge in 2020, receiving an 18-month prison sentence, but was pardoned in January 2021. Levandowski rejoined Pronto in September 2021 as CEO, announcing the company’s new off-road autonomous division.
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Anthony Levandowski’s Net Worth
Anthony Levandowski’s net worth is -$20 million. Once valued between $50 and $100 million, he declared personal bankruptcy after a $179 million judgment against him by Google in March 2020.
His filing listed assets of $50-$100 million and liabilities of $100-$500 million. In early 2022, a global settlement was reached among Levandowski, Google, and Uber, with Levandowski owing between $25 and $30 million.
Early life
Anthony Levandowski was born on March 15, 1980, in Brussels, Belgium, to a French diplomat mother and an American businessman. He moved to California in the mid-1990s and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
During his time at Berkeley, Levandowski founded several companies and developed innovative projects, including an autonomous motorcycle called Ghost Rider for the DARPA Grand Challenge in 2004 and 2005. He later donated the Ghost Rider to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Career
Anthony Levandowski, a French-American self-driving car engineer, co-founded Google’s self-driving car program, now Waymo, in 2009. He later co-founded and sold Otto, an autonomous trucking company, to Uber in 2016. Levandowski rejoined Pronto AI as CEO in 2021, focusing on offroad autonomous vehicles.
Uber launched a groundbreaking driverless car service, stealing ahead of Detroit auto giants and Silicon Valley rivals with technology that could revolutionize transportation. / AFP / Angelo Merendino (Photo credit should read ANGELO MERENDINO/AFP/Getty Images)
Levandowski’s career includes pioneering work in autonomous vehicles, such as building the first self-driving car to drive on public roads. However, he faced legal issues, including a 2020 guilty plea for theft of trade secrets from Waymo. Levandowski’s ventures also include establishing a religious organization focused on artificial intelligence and launching Pollen Mobile, an open-source wireless network.
Civil Lawsuit and Federal Conviction
In 2017, Anthony Levandowski was implicated in the civil lawsuit Waymo v. Uber for allegedly downloading 9.7 GB of confidential Waymo files before resigning and using them at Uber. The case was settled in 2018, with Uber paying Waymo $245 million.
In 2019, Levandowski was indicted on 33 federal charges for stealing trade secrets from Waymo. He pled guilty to one charge, receiving an 18-month prison sentence, a restitution order of $756,500 to Waymo, and a $95,000 fine. He was pardoned in 2021 after serving six months.
What happened to Otto self-driving?
Google co-founder Larry Page was initially reluctant to file the suit. However, he was compelled to take action when a Waymo engineer was inadvertently copied on an email from a supplier containing a schematic of Uber’s Lidar design, which appeared almost identical to Waymo’s design.
Conclusion
Levandowski’s life is a testament to the potential rewards and risks of the tech industry. From breakthrough innovations and massive net worth gains to significant legal challenges and losses, his journey encapsulates the volatility of Silicon Valley.
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FAQs about Anthony Levandowski’s Net Worth
- How did Anthony Levandowski amass his wealth?
- Primarily through his roles in Google’s Waymo, and co-founding autonomous trucking companies Otto and Pronto.
- Why did Levandowski’s net worth drop significantly?
- He lost a $179 million judgment against Google in 2020, leading him to declare personal bankruptcy.
- Did Levandowski serve his entire 18-month prison sentence?
- No, he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2021.
- What is Anthony Levandowski’s current professional role?
- As of September 2021, he rejoined Pronto as CEO.
- What are some of Levandowski’s notable achievements?
- Co-founding Google’s self-driving car program, Waymo, creating the autonomous Ghost Rider motorcycle, and his involvement in the development of Google Street View.
