Meet IIT graduate who once backed Rs 14150000 crore company, know his Shah Rukh Khan connection

By mentoring two brilliant individuals who went on to create one of the most important tools that we all use today, the Google search engine, Rajeev Motwani made a huge impact on the development of the modern world. Currently, Google has a valuation of Rs 14150000 crore. Co-founder of Google Sergey Brin wrote on his blog, "Today, whenever you use a piece of technology, there is a good chance a little bit of Rajeev Motwani is behind it," after learning of Motwani's death.

Before his untimely death, Rajeev Motwani was a distinguished IIT alumnus, a decorated academic, and an angel investor. Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood megastar, was Rajeev Motwani's classmate in school.Motwani grew up in New Delhi and attended St. Columba's School, which boasts a distinguished alumni list that includes Shah Rukh Khan, politician Rahul Gandhi, and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

Motwani was an expert in data mining. Following his education, he was enrolled to the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, where he earned a degree in computer science. After that, he moved to the US to continue his education, where he graduated with a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition, Motwani held board positions at businesses like Vuclip, Mimosa Systems, Adchemy, Baynote, and Kaboodle. In 2001, he received the Godel Prize. The tragic death of Motwani in 2009 from "accidental drowning" at home ended both his promising career and life.