Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, 70, Spotted With 27-Year-Old Politician’s Daughter

Photos and coverage of 70-year-old former Google boss Eric Schmidt hanging out with 27-year-old Gloria-Sophie Burkandt the daughter of Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland went viral in early February 2026. The two were walking together and this created a curiosity and rumors online about their relations. There are speculations that they might be more than friends, yet none of the two, Schmidt and Burkandt, has ever publicly accepted that they are romantically involved.

Who Is Gloria-Sophie Burkandt?

Gloria-Sophie Burkandt is a young German personality of multi-faceted character: She is a daughter of the lead political figure in Germany and Bavaria, Markus Soder. Burkandt is a business management and economics graduate and is said to be enrolled in a PhD in economics at New York City.

Outside the academic sphere, she has worked in global fashion magazines such as Vogue Turkey and also contributed to publications such as Teen Vogue.

Her TV and documentary activity works as well, and she seems to be involved in cultural and charity projects. Her academic, media, and cultural presence profile is one of the reasons why her appearances with Schmidt are becoming attention-seeking.

Is Eric Schmidt Still Married?

Yes – Wendy Schmidt has been married to Eric Schmidt since 1980, a period of over forty years. They have been seen publicly in recent years together and are recognized to do common philanthropic work, such as the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. Although they are in a long-lasting marriage, over the years, media reports have hinted that the couple have a more loosy or open marriage structure – a statement that is much debated but, officially, has not been confirmed by the concerned families.

Was Eric Schmidt a Founder of Google?

No — Eric Schmidt did not have to be a founder of Google in its classical sense. He was a pioneer and brilliant illustration: Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the founders of Google, who started the company in 1998. In 2001, Schmidt was hired by the firm as its CEO and chairman and introduced business structure to the fast-growing technology start-up. Thus, even though he has been instrumental in the development of Google, he is not among the founders of the company.

What is the Percentage of the Google that Eric Schmidt owns?

According to the latest publicly traded information, Eric Schmidt currently does not hold a significant controlling interest in Google. As part of their compensation, executives like Schmidt were granted stock and options in the early 2000s but as of today has a very small ownership interest in the company, estimated at less than 0.01 of the company but different figures fluctuate with subsequent sales of stock and dilution of ownership over time. Currently, the stock of Google is predominantly owned by the investors and founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, with executive holdings constituting only a small part of the total shares.

Conclusion: Why This Story Has Everyone Talking

The buzz surrounding Eric Schmidt and Gloria-Sophie Burkandt is not simply a case of celebrity gossip, but an example of the collision between technology power, politics, age gap love and the curiosity of the masses in the digital age. Being a former Google CEO, Schmidt is a globally prominent person and thus, even his personal appearances are immediately turned into headlines. Arguably put that together with the public image of Burkandt as a model and as an academic on her own and the daughter of a high ranking German politician, and one can understand why the story went viral. Meanwhile, this episode has rekindled wider discussions, namely, privacy and the public interest, the media evaluation of influential men and how relationships connected with wealth and power are assessed in a different manner in the contemporary culture. Notably, there have been no official affirmations of the kind of relationship they have, and this reminds the readers that much of the buzz was created more on pure conjecture than on concrete information. Ultimately, regardless of whether this moment will turn into a brief headline or grow into a more comprehensive public story, it makes one thing evident: Eric Schmidt has left a legacy much deeper than Google, and any part of his life, career or otherwise, remains in the world spotlight in 2026.