Two of the world's newest billionaires, Google founders Mr Sergei Brin and Mr Larry Page, jetted into Dublin yesterday to open its new European headquarters and preach the "Google gospel" to an Irish audience for the first time.
The two former Stanford University students, who are each worth more than $4 billion (€3.25 billion) following Google's IPO in August, told a gathering of media, politicians and staff that Ireland was the perfect location for the firm.
"My original thoughts about coming to Ireland were that we would have easy access to Guinness and it was the closest stopover on route to Europe from California," quipped Mr Brin, a native of Moscow who founded the search engine with Mr Page back in 1998. "But since we have come here we have been won over and now employ more than 150 people... Ultimately what made our decision about Ireland was access to talented people."
Google, the world's most popular search engine, has rocketed from start-up to global brand in just over six years and has captured the imagination of web surfers and, most recently, Wall Street.
To emphasise its offbeat image Google staff speaking 17 different languages whizzed around the Dublin office, nicknamed the Googleplex, yesterday on motorised scooters dodging lava lamps, multicoloured bean bags and the odd politician.
Mr Brin, who rather atypically was wearing a bland grey suit and tie, said he wanted Google to be more like going to school than going to work to encourage creativity among staff members.
Yet despite the laid-back attitude Google is big business and now earns revenues of $1 billion a year and is fast becoming a threat to the 800-pound gorilla of the hi-tech industry, Microsoft.
Google's shares have raced to $136 from their IPO price of $85 in just under two months and staff numbers now stand at 2,200, up from 1,000 two years ago. The Dublin "Googleplex" is scheduled to grow to 240 people over the next year as it manages a support and administration functions in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
In the future Google could bring research activities to Dublin, said Mr Brin, who outlined his mission: to make searching the web as common an activity as "brushing your teeth".
