Challenge: six years old, Soviet math genius, but the government says “Jews can’t go to university.” Family packs one suitcase, leaves everything—grandma, home, safety—for America.
Accountable: when the first search engine crashes, he doesn’t blame the code—he blames his own eyes. Stays up, debugs, sleeps under the desk.
Assimilated: Stanford dorm, American slang, American dreams—he turns “don’t be evil” into a slogan and a promise.
Allegiance: billions back to U.S. schools, health research, immigration reform—he says, “This country gave us a chance, we give it back.”
Permanent: curiosity isn’t a job, it’s religion.
Prudent: bet the farm on ads, not ego.
Pragmatic: mobile? Flip. AI? Flip. Privacy storm? Listen, fix, keep going.
Lemons: exile, language walls, “foreigner” whispers.
What he made: a tool that finds anything, for anyone.
Read: The Google Story by David Vise—raw, no PR.
Grateful Immigrant 