Anthony Levandowski is a well-known figure in technology, having played a pivotal role in the rise of self-driving cars. As an engineer and entrepreneur, he co-founded Otto, a pioneering self-driving truck company later acquired by Uber. His notable tenure at Google’s autonomous vehicle division, and his involvement in the high-profile legal battle between Uber and Google, have attracted attention. This article will provide information about Anthony Levandowski’s Net Worth including his professional and private life.
Anthony Levandowski’s Net Worth 2024
Anthony Levandowski’s total net worth is estimated at around $50 million as of 2024. He was charged in 2019 with stealing confidential information about self-driving vehicle technology. The Ghost Rider vehicle was donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History by Levandowski in 2007. In 2009, he and Sebastian Thrun founded Google’s self-driving car project, Chauffeur, which was later renamed Waymo.
Anthony Levandowski founded Pronto AI in 2018, to develop a retrofit system for semi-trucks that is specifically designed for self-driving capabilities on highways and uses camera technology. In February 2022, he also introduced Pollen Mobile, an open-source wireless network project.
Anthony Levandowski’s Early Life
Anthony Levandowski was born on March 15, 1980, in Brussels, Belgium. His mother was a French diplomat, while his father was an American businessman. He eventually moved to California in the mid-1990s. He built websites for local businesses as a teenager.
In 1998, Levandowski enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. During his freshman year, he founded La Raison, a company that offers intranet and IT services, and made $50,000 in its first year. In his sophomore year, Levandowski created the BillSortBot, a Lego-based robot that won first place in the Sun Microsoft robotics competition.
In 2003, Anthony Levandowski and Randy Miller co-founded Construction Control Systems, to develop WorkTop, a portable blueprint reader and updater for construction sites. Around the same time, Levandowski and other Berkeley engineers known as the “Blue Team” began working on Ghost Rider, an autonomous motorcycle designed for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge.
Anthony Levandowski’s Career
In 2006, Anthony Levandowski collaborated with Sebastian Thrun, whom he met at the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, on VueTool, a Stanford project that uses vehicle-mounted cameras to map streets. Soon after, in early 2007, Google X hired Thrun, Levandowski, and their team to work on Google Street View. Levandowski played a key role in meeting Larry Page’s goal of mapping 1,000,000 kilometers of roads by the end of 2007, even ordering 100 Toyota Prius.
The “Topcon box,” a mobile mapping system mounted on cars designed by 510 Systems, a startup co-founded by Levandowski, contributed to their success. Google used this technology until it acquired 510 Systems in 2011.
In 2008, Anthony Levandowski proposed using the Ghost Rider for a Discovery Channel show. But because it was at the Smithsonian, he modified a Toyota Prius instead. Despite initial reservations from Google and 510 Systems over liability concerns, Levandowski founded Anthony’s Robots in June 2008 to develop the PriBot.
With police assistance, the driverless Prius completed a predetermined route, demonstrating the viability of self-driving cars. Impressed, Google paid an estimated $20 million for Anthony’s Robots and 510 Systems in 2011.
Anthony Levandowski’s Age/Height
As of 2024, Anthony Levandowski is 44 years old and stands at a height of 6 feet.
Anthony Levandowski’s Wife/Kids
Anthony Levandowski is married and has two children. However, he keeps his personal life private, choosing not to disclose his wife’s or children’s names to the public.
Anthony Levandowski’s Bankruptcy
In 2020, Anthony Levandowski was found to have violated his Google employment contract by recruiting employees for his startup Otto. As a result, he was ordered to pay Google a large sum of $179 million. This financial burden prompted Levandowski to file for bankruptcy. His business partner and Otto co-founder, Lior Ron, was also involved in the incident.
By early 2022, Levandowski, Google, and Uber had reached a global settlement, with Levandowski agreeing to pay $25 to $30 million. The agreement sparked criticism from the US Department of Justice and California’s Internal Revenue Service, particularly regarding the tax implications for Levandowski’s estate.
Anthony Levandowski’s Civil Lawsuit
In 2017, Anthony Levandowski became involved in the Waymo v. Uber lawsuit. It was claimed that before quitting his job, Levandowski downloaded many secret files from Waymo, totaling 9.7 gigabytes. These files contained important documents such as plans and designs. It was claimed that Levandowski used these files when he began working for Uber. The case was settled in early 2018, with Uber paying Waymo approximately $245 million in company stock and agreeing not to use any of Waymo’s technologies.
Then in 2019, Levandowski got into even more trouble. The Department of Justice accused him of stealing secrets from Waymo. They charged him with 33 crimes. Levandowski eventually admitted guilt on one of the charges and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He also had to pay Waymo $756,500 plus a $95,000 fine. After nearly six months in prison, Levandowski received a presidential pardon in early 2021.
Anthony Levandowski’s Pronto AI
In 2018, Levandowski founded Pronto AI, a company dedicated to developing a self-driving system for semi-trucks that only operates on highways. He invested more than $8.5 million of his own money in the company, according to his 2019 bankruptcy filing.
To show that his idea worked, Levandowski stated that he drove a modified Prius car 3,100 miles across the United States. Some people questioned the authenticity of the video he shared, claiming that it was sped up. Pronto AI later shifted its focus to developing self-driving vehicles for specific locations, such as quarries.
In February 2022, Levandowski founded Pollen Mobile, a wireless internet network. It distributes antennas and other items such as flowers, hummingbirds, and bumblebees to individuals. This network is used by Pronto AI’s self-driving cars and operates in the Bay Area. In October 2022, Levandowski stated that he did not believe self-driving cars would become popular anytime soon.
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