Ram Shriram: Indian-Origin Early Google Investor

Shriram, a Chennai-born entrepreneur, met Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998 through his friend and fellow investor Andreas Bechtolsheim. He wrote a personal check for $250,000, becoming one of the first three angel investors in the company alongside Bechtolsheim and Jeff Bezos.

At the time, Google was operating out of a Menlo Park garage with a handful of employees. Shriram, who had previously co-founded the online advertising company Junglee, was drawn to the search engine's potential when most others were focused on established portals like Yahoo.

After Google's 2004 IPO, Shriram's initial investment was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He later joined Google's board of directors, serving from 2001 to 2010, and now sits on the board of Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Beyond Google, Shriram has invested in dozens of startups through his venture firm Sherpalo Ventures. He also serves on the boards of several companies, including the education technology firm Byju's and the payments platform BillDesk.

Shriram remains a relatively low-profile figure in Silicon Valley, often shunning media attention. He has focused his philanthropic efforts on education and healthcare in India, including a $10 million donation to the University of California, Berkeley for a scholarship fund for Indian students.