Sophie Schmidt (publisher)
Sophie Schmidt | |
|---|---|
| Education | Princeton University (B.A.) Stanford University (MBA) Harvard University (MPA) |
| Known for | Founder of Rest of World |
| Family | Eric Schmidt (father) Wendy Schmidt (mother) |
Sophie Schmidt (born 1986 or 1987[1]) is an American media executive and publisher. She is the founder and publisher of Rest of World, a nonprofit journalism organization focused on global technology news. She is also a director at the Schmidt Family Foundation.
Early life and education
[edit]Sophie Schmidt is the daughter of former Google CEO and executive chairman Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy Schmidt.[2]
She attended Princeton University, graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies.[3] She wrote her undergraduate thesis on the impact of Internet technology in the Muslim world.[4] Sophie holds an Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.[1]
Career
[edit]In 2013, Schmidt interned at SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.[5] She subsequently worked in Dubai at the Afghan media company Moby Group, and held positions at Google-funded incubator Umbono[6] and Xiaomi in Beijing.[1]
Schmidt later worked as a public policy and communications manager at Uber for three years.[2] Schmidt also serves as a director of the Schmidt Family Foundation.[7]
In January 2013, Schmidt accompanied her father on a visit to North Korea as part of a delegation led by former New Mexico Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson. Sophie documented her impressions in a widely cited blog post,[8] describing highly controlled and staged interactions, including a visit to Kim Il Sung University's e-library, which she characterized as feeling artificial, comparing the unresponsive students to figurines.[9] Her candid, detailed account of her time in the country garnered widespread media attention.[9][10][11][12][13]
Rest of World
[edit]In May 2020, Schmidt officially launched Rest of World, a nonprofit media publication covering technology stories outside western countries.[14] In September 2020, Schmidt told The Wall Street Journal that she had already invested $6 million out of a family trust into the nonprofit and planned to spend "as much as $60 million over the next decade to sustain and expand the site and shine a light on technology’s impact beyond developed Western countries."[1]
Personal life and recognition
[edit]In April 2024, Schmidt was named a 2024 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.[15][16]
Sophie is Eric and Wendy Schmidt's only surviving child.[17] Her sister, Alison, died in 2017 after a long illness.[18][19]
She is based in New York.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Alpert, Lukas (September 27, 2020). "Eric Schmidt's Daughter Has Tech Ambitions—Just Not in Silicon Valley". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Joseph (May 1, 2019). "Sophie Schmidt Will Launch A New Tech Publication With An International Focus". Buzzfeed. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
- ^ "Sophie Schmidt". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ "Sophie Schmidt | HuffPost". HuffPost. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Confessore, Nicholas; Rosenberg, Matthew (2018-03-28). "Spy Contractor's Idea Helped Cambridge Analytica Harvest Facebook Data". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Al-Heeti, Abrar (May 1, 2019). "Sophie Schmidt is reportedly starting a publication about tech's global impact". CNET. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ "2023 Form 990: The Schmidt Family Foundation". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. November 15, 2024. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Schmidt, Sophie (2013-03-08). "It might not get weirder than this". Sophie in North Korea. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ a b Fox, Emily Jane (2013-01-20). "Eric Schmidt's daughter details North Korea visit". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Ngak, Chenda (2013-01-21). "Eric Schmidt's daughter blogs about North Korea". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Delaney, Kevin J. (2013-01-20). "Eric Schmidt's daughter's inside account of their visit to North Korea". Quartz. Archived from the original on 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Edelman, Adam (2013-01-22). "Top Google executive's daughter, Sophie Schmidt, recounts secretive trip to North Korea with dad and freelance diplomats: 'A mix of highly-staged encounters … and what seemed like genuine human moments'". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Walker, Tim (January 21, 2013). "The 'very, very strange' world of North Korea, as blogged by daughter of Google boss". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Margalit, Ruth (December 1, 2020). "Out of Nowhere". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ "From Paralympian to Water Security Specialist: Meet the 2024 Class of Young Global Leaders". World Economic Forum. April 4, 2024. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
- ^ Donohoe, Michael (2024-04-04). "Sophie Schmidt Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum". Rest of World. Archived from the original on 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ "Future of Big Philanthropy: 15 Heirs of Top Mega-Givers to Watch Closely". Inside Philanthropy. 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ Townsend, Tess (2017-06-09). "Eric Schmidt's daughter Alison has passed away". Vox. Archived from the original on 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
- ^ "Our Condolences". Schmidt Family Foundation. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017.
- ^ Popper, Ben (September 15, 2020). "What tech is like in "Rest of World"". The Stake Overflow Podcast. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025.