# Eric Schmidt Timeline Biographical chronology of [[Eric Schmidt]] — the look-back spine, organized around the three-phase transformation on the canonical page. Distinct from [[Eric Schmidt Calendar]] (look-ahead) and [[Eric Schmidt Events]] (discrete-page index). > Dates as established in the vault and the widely-reported public record. ## Phase 1 — Google executive (2001–2017) | Year | Event | |---|---| | 2001 | Hired as Google CEO by [[Larry Page]] | | 2004 | Google acquires Keyhole (→ Google Earth); first intelligence-community link | | 2011 | Steps down as CEO → Executive Chairman | | 2015 | Alphabet Executive Chairman after restructuring; ~$30B+ from equity | ## Phase 2 — Pentagon advisory (2016–2021) | Year | Event | |---|---| | 2016 | Founding chair, [[Defense Innovation Board]] | | 2017 | Google wins [[Project Maven]] during his advisory tenure | | 2018 | [[Google Project Maven Walkout]] — the conflict made visible | | 2019–2021 | Chairs the [[National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence]] | | Mar 2021 | NSCAI final report — the blueprint for US military-AI strategy | ## Phase 3 — defense entrepreneur (2021–present) | Date | Event | |---|---| | Oct 2021 | Launches the [[Special Competitive Studies Project]] (privatized NSCAI) | | 2022 | CNBC: wrote AI laws while investing in beneficiaries (undisclosed) | | 2024 | Founds [[White Stork]]; leads Magic's $320M round; "swap tanks for AI drones" | | Mar 2025 | "Superintelligence Strategy" (MAIM) with [[Dan Hendrycks]] + [[Alexandr Wang]] | | Jul 2025 | Zelenskyy watches the Swift Beat / Ukraine partnership signing | | Jan 2026 | Launches [[Bolt Data & Energy]] with Texas Pacific Land (10 GW target) | ## See Also - [[Eric Schmidt]] — canonical biography - [[Eric Schmidt Calendar]] · [[Eric Schmidt Events]] - [[Google Defense Timeline]] · [[White Stork]] - [[Eric Schmidt Dossier]]