Google Founder Gives Back

Does anybody here spend a day without at least one trip around the Internet on Google? Admit it, it's probably more like 10 trips, 20 or 50.

Google will help you with any question or problem. How do you destinkify your kitchen disposal? Lemon peel! Who was it that sang "Walk Like an Egyptian" in 1986? The Bangles! Which famous tennis player did crystal meth? Andre Agassi!

Little did you know, but none of that would be possible without the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), according to a recent article in the New York Times. HIAS helped a beleaguered family escape anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and come to the United States to start a new life. The 6-year-old son of the family, Sergey Brin, went on to found Google and is now a billionaire.

Brin has just given HIAS $1 million as a means of repaying the favor. "I would have never had the kinds of opportunities I’ve had here in the Soviet Union, or even in Russia today," Mr. Brin told the Times. "I would like to see anyone be able to achieve their dreams, and that’s what this organization does."

While this gift is a small one next to Brin's estimated $16 billion, it is an early foray into philanthropy for him and his wife, Anne Wojcicki. They plan to engage more fully in charitable giving once they get their philanthropic sea legs. For now, though, no unsolicited proposals.

Photo courtesy of Freedom to Marry, via Flickr