Anthony Levandowski Net Worth [How Can It Be Negative?]

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Net Worth:	-$20 million
Profession/Career:	Engineer, Entrepreneur
College:	University of California, Berkeley
Major/Degree:	Mechanical Engineering
Full Name:	Anthony Levandowski
Date of Birth:	March 15, 1980
Place of Birth:	Brussels, Belgium
Height:	6’ 6”

Who is Anthony Levandowski?

Anthony Levandowski is an American engineer and entrepreneur known for his work in the field of autonomous vehicles. He was born on March 15, 1980. Levandowski gained significant attention for his involvement in the development of self-driving car technology.

Levandowski played a crucial role in the development of Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. He joined Google in 2007 and led the company’s efforts in developing autonomous vehicle technology. His work at Google focused on the development of Lidar, a sensing technology used in self-driving cars.

In 2016, Levandowski left Google and founded a self-driving truck startup called Otto, which aimed to develop autonomous technology for long-haul trucks. Shortly after its founding, Otto was acquired by Uber, and Levandowski became the head of Uber’s self-driving car division.

However, in 2017, Waymo (formerly Google’s self-driving car project) sued Uber, alleging that Levandowski had stolen trade secrets from them. This legal battle eventually led to Levandowski being fired from Uber in 2017.

Anthony Levandowski’s Net Worth

Anthony Levandowski’s net worth is estimated to be around -$20 million. That’s right, negative $20 million.

Anthony Levandowski made most of his money through his involvement in the autonomous vehicle industry and his ventures in the technology sector. Here is a timeline of his money-making (and money-owing) career:

Google (2007-2016): Levandowski joined Google in 2007 and played a significant role in the development of the company’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. Levandowski earned a substantial income during his time at Google due to his key position and contributions to the project.

Otto and Uber (2016-2017): After leaving Google, Levandowski founded a self-driving truck startup called Otto. In 2016, just a few months after its founding, Otto was acquired by Uber for $680 million. As part of the acquisition deal, Levandowski became the head of Uber’s self-driving car division and pocketed a cool $250 million in Uber stock in the process. On top of that, as the head of the self-driving division, Anthony earned a hefty annual salary believed to be in the millions.

Legal Settlement and Pardon: In 2020, Levandowski pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from Waymo (formerly Google’s self-driving car project). He was ordered to pay restitution to Waymo, amounting to approximately $179 million.

The Lawsuit Between Waymo and Uber

In the high-profile lawsuit between Waymo and Uber starting in 2017, Waymo initially sought damages of $1.86 billion. They claimed that Levandowski had downloaded approximately 14,000 confidential files containing valuable trade secrets related to Waymo’s self-driving car technology before leaving the company.

During the trial, Waymo presented evidence to support their claims of trade secret theft. They alleged that Levandowski transferred the files to his personal devices, including his laptop and external hard drives, in the months leading up to his departure. Waymo contended that this information formed a critical part of their proprietary technology, including LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor designs and other autonomous vehicle technologies.

The lawsuit also revealed the events surrounding Uber’s acquisition of Levandowski’s startup, Otto. It was disclosed that Uber had paid Levandowski around $250 million in Uber stock for Otto, with a significant portion of that amount being allocated as incentive payments based on the success of the self-driving technology. This further underscored the potential financial stakes involved in the case.

As the trial progressed, it became apparent that Uber had been aware of Levandowski’s possession of confidential Waymo documents prior to the acquisition of Otto. This raised questions about Uber’s level of involvement and complicity in the alleged theft of trade secrets.

However, before a final verdict was reached, Waymo and Uber agreed to a settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, Uber agreed to pay Waymo approximately $245 million in Uber equity, representing roughly 0.34% of Uber’s equity at the time. Additionally, Uber provided assurances that they would not use Waymo’s confidential information in their autonomous vehicle technology.

In 2020, Anthony Levandowski pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from Google’s self-driving car project while he was still an employee. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was later granted a pardon by former U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2021.

Levandowski was ordered to pay $170 million, and Uber made it clear that they would not be covering any of that for him.

Anthony Levandowski’s Early Life and Childhood

Anthony Levandowski was raised in a culturally diverse environment. With a French diplomat mother and an American businessman father, he was exposed to a blend of international perspectives and experiences from a young age.

Levandowski’s family relocated to California in the mid-1990s, where he embarked on a journey of technological exploration and innovation that would shape his future endeavors.

Even during his teenage years, Levandowski exhibited a natural inclination towards technology and entrepreneurship. He found himself drawn to web development, creating websites for local businesses and showcasing both his technical prowess and entrepreneurial spirit.

These early experiences ignited his passion for leveraging technology to solve practical problems and laid the groundwork for his future achievements.

Levandowski’s academic pursuits led him to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1998. He immersed himself in the field of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, seeking to expand his knowledge and skills in the world of engineering. It was during this time that he began to make significant strides in the entrepreneurial realm.

As a freshman, Levandowski founded La Raison, a company specializing in intranet and IT services. Through his innovative approach and strategic vision, the company quickly gained traction and achieved a revenue stream of $50k within its first year, demonstrating Levandowski’s ability to transform ideas into viable business ventures.

Alongside his academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Levandowski continuously nurtured his engineering talents. He undertook projects that showcased his technical acumen and creativity.

One notable accomplishment was the design and construction of the BillSortBot, a robot constructed from Lego pieces. This achievement garnered recognition, securing Levandowski the top position in the Sun Microsoft robotics competition and further fueling his passion for pushing the boundaries of technology.

From an early age, Anthony Levandowski’s multicultural upbringing, combined with his innate curiosity and entrepreneurial drive, laid the foundation for his future accomplishments. These experiences nurtured his technical expertise, instilled a determination to solve complex problems, and set the stage for his notable contributions to the world of technology.

Anthony Levandowski’s Controversies

Anthony Levandowski has been involved in quite a few notable controversies throughout his career. Here are the key controversies associated with him:

Waymo vs. Uber: In 2017, Waymo (formerly Google’s self-driving car project) filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging that Levandowski had stolen trade secrets from Waymo before leaving to start his own self-driving truck startup, Otto, which was later acquired by Uber. The lawsuit claimed that Levandowski had downloaded confidential files and trade secrets related to Lidar technology, a critical component of self-driving cars. The legal battle lasted for months and resulted in a settlement between Waymo and Uber.

Trade Secret Theft and Criminal Charges: In August 2019, Levandowski was indicted on 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets from Google/Waymo. The charges stemmed from the earlier allegations made in the Waymo vs. Uber lawsuit. Levandowski pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Guilty Plea and Pardon: In March 2020, Levandowski changed his plea and pleaded guilty to one count of stealing trade secrets from Google/Waymo. He acknowledged that he had downloaded thousands of confidential files and trade secrets before leaving the company. In August 2020, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution to Waymo. However, in January 2021, former U.S. President Donald Trump granted Levandowski a full pardon, relieving him from the remaining prison time.

Non-Compete Agreement Violation: During his time at Google, Levandowski signed a non-compete agreement that prohibited him from working on competing autonomous vehicle technology for a certain period after leaving the company. The lawsuit filed by Waymo against Uber alleged that Levandowski violated this agreement by using the stolen trade secrets to benefit his own startup, Otto, which was later acquired by Uber.

Allegations of Unfair Work Practices: Levandowski has faced criticism for his management style and treatment of employees. Reports have emerged suggesting a high-pressure work environment at Otto and allegations of Levandowski fostering a toxic workplace culture. These allegations have raised concerns about his leadership practices and management ethics.

Anthony Levandowski’s Business Ventures and Philanthropy

Anthony Levandowski has been involved in various technology-related ventures and investments throughout his career. Here are a few notable examples:

Pronto.ai: After his departure from Uber, Levandowski founded a new startup called Pronto.ai. The company aimed to develop advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for commercial trucks. Pronto.ai focused on improving safety and efficiency in the trucking industry using artificial intelligence and autonomous technology. However, following Levandowski’s legal troubles, the company faced financial difficulties and eventually shut down.

13th Lab: Levandowski was an early investor and advisor to 13th Lab, a computer vision startup. The company focused on developing augmented reality (AR) technology and computer vision applications for mobile devices. 13th Lab was acquired by Facebook in 2013 and became part of the Facebook Reality Labs team.

Comma.ai: Levandowski has also been associated with Comma.ai, a company founded by George Hotz. Comma.ai aimed to develop an aftermarket device that could add semi-autonomous capabilities to existing cars. Although Levandowski’s involvement with Comma.ai was relatively brief, he provided guidance and advice to the company in its early stages.

Way of the Future: Levandowski co-founded Way of the Future, a religious organization focused on the worship and development of an artificial intelligence-based Godhead. The organization aims to explore the potential of AI and its role in shaping the future of humanity from a spiritual perspective.

As far as philanthropy is concerned, we haven’t been able to confirm any that Anthony has yet to be involved with. If you know of any, please let us know! We’d be more than happy to add them to the post.

Pronto.ai

One of Anthony Levandowski’s current projects is Pronto.ai, which is a self-driving software for commercial trucks to make them pretty much uncrashable.

The company was founded in 2017 and Anthony is the founder and CEO. The company’s goal is to make commercial driving completely autonomous, and have hired the best in the industry to tackle the project.

Pollen Mobile

After realizing the need for reliable networks if his self-driving trucks are to become a reality, Anthony Levandowski and his Pronto team decided to build their own network of reliable connectivity.

Pollen would provide its users with a completely safe and private connection through their own network.

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