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Eric Schmidt (AP-Yonhap) |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ With Google's stock hovering at record highs, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt plans to sell more than 40 percent of his stock in the Internet search leader this year.
The plan disclosed Friday calls for Schmidt to sell up to 3.2 million shares. If he were to sell all that stock at Google's current price, Schmidt would realize a $2.5 billion windfall.
Schmidt ended December with 7.6 million Google shares, or a 2.3 percent stake in the Mountain View, California, company.
He would be left with about 4.4 million shares of Google stock worth another $3.5 billion if he follows through on his divestiture plan for this year. He has gradually been winnowing his holdings in Google in recent years, without giving a specific reason.
Google Inc. declined to comment Friday.
Google's stock rose $11.42 to close at $785.37 Friday. Earlier in the day, it traded at $786.67 _ its highest price since the company went public at $85 per share in August 2004.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the only company executives who own more stock than Schmidt.
Page controls an 8.7 percent stake and Brin holds an 8.5 percent stake. Each stake is currently worth nearly $20 billion.
Schmidt, 57, was Google's CEO for a decade before turning over the job to Page, 39, in April 2011.
<관련 한글뉴스>
구글 회장 주식 40% 팔기로
구글의 주가가 나날이 치솟는 가운데 구글 회장 에릭 슈미트가 그가 보유한 주식의 40%를 처분하기로 했다고 한다.
금요일 공개된 방안에 따르면 슈미트가 처분할 주식은 320마주가 된다. 현시세에 따르게 된다면 25억불을 현금화할 수 있게 되는 것이다.
슈미트는 작년 12월부로 760만주를 보유하게 되었고 이는 구글 전체의 2.3%에 해당하게 된다. 그는 계속 주식을 현금화 할 방안들을 마련해 왔고, 그 이유는 아직 밝혀지지 않았다.
구글 주식은 금요리 11.42불 오른 주단 785.37 달러에 마쳤고 786.67 불에 거래되었다.
구글 내부인 중 슈미트보다 많은 주식을 보유한 사람은 구글의 공동창업자인 래리 페이지와 세르게이 브린 뿐이다.
