Question 1

True or false: Eric Schmidt was CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011 and later served as executive chairman.

Accepted Answer

True. He was CEO during a period of massive growth, then remained chairman until 2018, but never returned as CEO.

Question 2

True or false: Eric Schmidt helped co-found Google in 1998 alongside Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Accepted Answer

False. Schmidt was hired as CEO in 2001, years after Google's founding by Page and Brin. He was not a co-founder.

Question 3

True or false: Eric Schmidt owns a superyacht named 'The Osprey' and is an avid sailor.

Accepted Answer

True. He owns a 194-foot yacht called 'Osprey' and frequently sails it, often hosting tech elites.

Question 4

True or false: Eric Schmidt was banned from using the internet for a year after a privacy scandal in 2010.

Accepted Answer

False. No such ban occurred. Schmidt remained active online; this myth likely stems from a satirical article.

Question 5

True or false: Schmidt once accidentally leaked Google’s quarterly earnings report early, causing a stock drop.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2012, he mistakenly disclosed earnings data during an interview, leading to a brief SEC investigation.

Question 6

True or false: Schmidt served as chairman of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovation Board, advising on technology.

Accepted Answer

True. He chaired the Defense Innovation Board from 2016 to 2020, helping the Pentagon adopt modern tech.

Question 7

True or false: Schmidt was an early investor in the artificial intelligence company DeepMind before Google acquired it.

Accepted Answer

False. DeepMind was funded by Founders Fund and others; Schmidt invested personally in some AI startups, but not DeepMind before Google’s buyout.

Question 8

True or false: Eric Schmidt wrote a bestselling autobiography titled 'The Google Story' in 2005.

Accepted Answer

False. 'The Google Story' was written by David A. Vise, not Schmidt. Schmidt co-wrote 'How Google Works' and other tech books.

Eric Schmidt Trivia Questions