Bunge vs Google: Founders, CEOs and History
Bunge was founded in 1818 by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge and is led by Gregory A. Heckman. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page, Sergey Brin and is led by Sundar Pichai.
Company facts
Founders
Bunge
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge founded Bunge & Co. in Amsterdam in 1818 as an import-export house.
Larry Page
Google possesses arguably the most famous, influential founding story in the history of Silicon Valley, rooted in the academic environment of Stanford University and a foundational obsession with organizing all of human knowledge.
Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin co-founded Google and played a central role in the early engineering, product, and cultural development of the company. He helped build the search technology, recruit technical talent, and preserve a culture that valued bold experiments.
CEOs and their tenures
Bunge
- Alberto Weisser1999–2013
Chief Executive Officer
Weisser led Bunge as it moved its headquarters from São Paulo to the New York area and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2001, then through the 2002 Cereol acquisition that made it the world's largest soybean processor.
Source - Soren Schroder2013–2019
Chief Executive Officer
Schroder became CEO in June 2013. His tenure included a takeover approach from Glencore in 2017 and a reported approach from ADM in January 2018.
Source - Gregory A. Heckman2019–present
Chief Executive Officer
Heckman joined Bunge's board in October 2018, when activist investors D.E. Shaw and Continental Grain pushed for change, became acting CEO on 22 January 2019 and CEO in April 2019.
Source
- Larry Page1998–2019
Co-founder and Former CEO
Larry Page is one of the most consequential technologists of the modern era. His initial algorithmic breakthrough organized the chaotic early internet, creating the essential infrastructure for the modern digital economy.
Source - Eric Schmidt2001–2011
Former CEO and Executive Chairman
Schmidt was the indispensable bridge between a chaotic academic research project and a globally dominant, publicly traded corporation.
Source - Sundar Pichai2015–present
CEO of Alphabet and Google
Pichai provides crucial corporate stability and pragmatic product leadership, transitioning Google from its chaotic early years into a profitable, mature corporate giant.
Source
Timeline: Bunge and Google side by side
1818Bunge
Bunge & Co. founded in Amsterdam
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge set up Bunge & Co. in Amsterdam as an import-export trading house, the business that still carries his name.
1859Bunge
Edouard Bunge moves the firm to Antwerp
The founder's grandson Edouard Bunge relocated the company to Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's busiest ports for colonial and grain trade.
1884Bunge
Bunge y Born launched in Argentina
Ernest Bunge and the Born family started a grain trading company in Buenos Aires as Argentina emerged as a major grain exporter. Bunge y Born grew into elevators, flour mills and export logistics.
1905Bunge
Expansion into Brazil
Bunge extended its South American business into Brazil, which later became its most important origin for soybeans.
1918Bunge
Trading begins in North America
Bunge started trading in North America, the world's largest agricultural market.
1997Bunge
Ceval makes Bunge Brazil's top soy processor
After a 1993 to 1997 restructuring that refocused the group on agribusiness, Bunge acquired Ceval, the largest soybean processor in Brazil. Acquisitions and organic growth over the next seven years made it the largest soy processor in South America.
1998Google
Google Founded
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google after developing PageRank at Stanford University. The search engine ranked web pages by link authority, which made results feel more relevant than portal-era competitors.
2000Google
AdWords Launch
Google launched AdWords in 2000 and connected advertising to search intent. Businesses could pay to appear near relevant queries, eventually through auction-based performance advertising.
2001Bunge
NYSE listing and a US headquarters
Bunge Limited listed on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2001 under the ticker BG and moved its headquarters from São Paulo to the New York area, ending 183 years of private ownership.
2002Bunge
Cereol acquisition
Bunge bought 55 percent of French oilseed processor Cereol from Italy's Edison for ~$508 million (449.2 million euros) and then the publicly held shares.
2004Google
Google IPO
Google went public in 2004 using an auction process and priced 19,605,052 shares at $85, raising about $1.67B. The IPO gave the company capital for hiring, data centers, acquisitions, and global expansion.
2005Bunge
First soybean plant in China
Bunge opened its first soybean processing plant in China, the world's largest soybean importer.
2005Google
Android Acquisition
Google acquired Android in 2005 to secure a role in mobile operating systems before smartphones became the main internet device. Android later gave Google global reach through manufacturers such as Samsung and many others.
2006Google
YouTube Acquisition
Google closed the YouTube acquisition in 2006 for stock valued at $1.65B. The deal gave Google a user-generated video platform, creator ecosystem, and advertising surface outside text search before online video had a mature business model.
2008Google
DoubleClick Acquisition
Google acquired DoubleClick for $3.1B to expand its advertising infrastructure beyond search. The deal strengthened display advertising, ad serving, and publisher relationships. It helped Google build a broader ad-tech stack.
2010Bunge
Entry into sugar and ethanol
Bunge entered the sugar business in Brazil, a diversification it later moved into a joint venture with BP in 2019 and exited in 2024.
2014Google
DeepMind Acquisition
Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 to deepen its artificial intelligence research bench. DeepMind later became known for AlphaGo and other breakthroughs in reinforcement learning and scientific AI.
2015Google
Alphabet Restructuring
Google restructured into Alphabet Inc. In 2015, separating core Google from Other Bets. The move gave investors clearer visibility into Search, YouTube, Android, and Cloud economics while preserving room for Waymo, Verily, Calico, and X.
2018Bunge
Loders Croklaan and a bicentennial
Bunge completed its purchase of 70 percent of IOI Loders Croklaan, a specialty palm and tropical oils business, for $946 million, and marked 200 years since its founding.
2018Bunge
Activist investors reshape the board
Under pressure from investors D.E. Shaw and Continental Grain, Bunge added three directors in October 2018, including Gregory Heckman. On 10 December 2018 it said CEO Soren Schroder would step down.
2019Bunge
Gregory Heckman becomes CEO
Heckman was named acting CEO on 22 January 2019 and appointed chief executive in April 2019, starting a review of the portfolio and a shift to global value chains.
2019Bunge
Headquarters move to St. Louis and BP sugar venture
Bunge moved its global headquarters from White Plains, New York, to the St. Louis area and combined its Brazilian sugar and bioenergy business with BP's in a 50/50 joint venture.
2019Google
Sundar Pichai Becomes Alphabet CEO
Sundar Pichai became CEO of Alphabet in 2019 after Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped back from daily operations. Pichai inherited a company facing cloud competition, antitrust scrutiny, privacy pressure, and rising AI expectations.
2021Bunge
Chevron renewable feedstock venture announced
Bunge and Chevron announced a joint venture to supply soybean oil for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel from Bunge's crushing plants in Destrehan, Louisiana, and Cairo, Illinois.
2023Bunge
Added to the S&P 500
Bunge replaced Signature Bank in the S&P 500 effective 15 March 2023.
2023Bunge
Viterra merger agreed
On 13 June 2023 Bunge agreed to combine with Viterra, the grain handler owned by Glencore, CPP Investments and British Columbia Investment Management, for Bunge shares and about $2 billion in cash.
2023Bunge
Redomiciled to Switzerland
Bunge moved its place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland in November 2023, becoming Bunge Global SA with a registered office in Geneva while keeping its headquarters in St. Louis.
2023Google
Google DeepMind Integration
Alphabet combined major AI research efforts under Google DeepMind to accelerate frontier model development. The move followed competitive pressure from OpenAI and Microsoft.
2024Bunge
Exit from sugar and bioenergy
On 1 October 2024 Bunge completed the sale of its 50 percent stake in BP Bunge Bioenergia to bp, a stake valued at about $1.4 billion in enterprise value.
2025Bunge
Canada approves the Viterra deal with conditions
Canada's government approved the merger on 14 January 2025, requiring Bunge to sell six Western Canadian grain elevators, invest at least ~$374 million (C$520 million) in Canada within five years and keep a Canadian head office in Regina.
2025Bunge
North American corn milling sold
Bunge completed the sale of its North American dry corn and corn masa milling business to flour miller Grain Craft on 1 July 2025.
2025Bunge
Viterra merger completed
The Viterra merger closed on 2 July 2025 after China's approval. Glencore received about 32.8 million Bunge shares, 16.4 percent of the enlarged company, and about $900 million in cash.
2025Google
FY2025 Revenue Tops $402B
Alphabet reported FY2025 revenue of $402.836B and net income of $132.170B. The milestone showed that Search ads, YouTube, Cloud, and subscriptions kept scaling despite regulatory and AI disruption concerns.
2026Bunge
IFF soy protein and lecithin businesses acquired
On 2 March 2026 Bunge closed its purchase of IFF's soy protein concentrate, lecithin and soy crush businesses, including the Response, Alpha, Procon and Solec brands.
2026Bunge
Investor Day sets 2030 earnings target
At its 10 March 2026 Investor Day Bunge set a mid-cycle EPS baseline of about $13, a goal of at least $15 by the end of 2030 and a new $3 billion share repurchase programme.
2026Bunge
Guidance raised after a strong second quarter
Bunge reported second-quarter net income of $678 million on 29 July 2026, completed its $2 billion Viterra-related buyback and raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.25 to $9.75.
2026Bunge
Sugar mills to be sold to COFCO International
On 1 September 2026 Bunge agreed to sell the Rio Vermelho and Nova Unialco sugarcane mills in São Paulo state, inherited from Viterra, to COFCO International, subject to regulatory approval.
Acquisitions
Bunge
- IFF soy protein concentrate, lecithin and soy crush businesses2026Undisclosed
- Viterra Limited2025$8.2B
- IOI Loders Croklaan (70 percent stake)2018$946M
- Cereol S.A.2002$815M
- Ceval Alimentos1997Undisclosed
- Wiz2025$32B
- Mandiant2022$5.4B
- Fitbit2021$2.1B
- DeepMind2014$500M
- DoubleClick2008$3.1B
- YouTube2006$1.6B
Questions about Bunge vs Google
Who is the CEO of Bunge Global SA and Alphabet Inc.?
Bunge Global SA is led by Gregory A. Heckman and Alphabet Inc. is led by Sundar Pichai. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Bunge Global SA founded vs Alphabet Inc.?
Bunge Global SA was founded in 1818 — 180 years before Alphabet Inc., which was founded in 1998. Bunge Global SA's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Alphabet Inc..
How many employees does Bunge Global SA have compared to Alphabet Inc.?
Bunge Global SA employs approximately 34,000 people, while Alphabet Inc. employs approximately 190,820. Alphabet Inc. has the larger workforce at 190,820 employees, compared to Bunge Global SA's 34,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Bunge Global SA and Alphabet Inc. headquartered?
Both Bunge Global SA and Alphabet Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Bunge Global SA and Alphabet Inc.?
Bunge Global SA was founded by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge. Alphabet Inc. was founded by Larry Page, Sergey Brin.
Which company has a longer operating history — Bunge Global SA or Alphabet Inc.?
Bunge Global SA has been operating for approximately 208 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Alphabet Inc. has been in operation for around 28 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Bunge vs Google overview