Ex-Google Employee Says Her Income Tripled To Nearly Rs 9 Crore After Divorce, Here's How

A former Google employee living in California recently shared how she managed to triple her income from $300,000 (about Rs 2.6 crore) to nearly $1 million (approximately Rs 8.7 crore) after getting a divorce. In an interview with CNBC Make It, Venus Wang, 37, said that after her marriage ended, she had less than $10,000 (about Rs 8.7 lakh) in cash as savings. At the time, she was unemployed for a year while caring for her daughter. The divorce was a "wake-up call in my life," the 37-year-old said, adding that the "personal identity shift was a very big thing for me - to transform from someone else's wife to a single mom". 

Before that, Ms Wang, who moved from China to the US in 2013, had built a stable six-figure career managing purchases at a big tech company. However, after divorce, she said that she not only needed to rebuild her career, but also her financial future. This is when she decided to make a disciplined financial plan for herself. Now, she boasts of a $1 million paycheck and is working in the AI division of a major tech firm, she told the outlet. 

The 37-year-old revealed that after getting divorced, she reentered the workforce overseeing software quality and operations at Google. However, within a year, she realised she wanted more stability and growth, and this led her to pivot into artificial intelligence, Ms Wang said. 

"When we were splitting up, I took a really hard look at my personal finances," Ms Wang told CNBC Make It. "I had less than $10,000 in cash... I started to realise that up until that point, I had managed my personal finances really terribly. I had to make a really drastic change in terms of my mindset. This is not only just about me anymore. This is also about me taking care of my daughter's future as well," she continued. 

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Ms Wang said she took on three different roles in AI up until 2024 when she quit Google to join a startup before returning to another major tech company. The job switches helped her nearly triple her income from $300,000 to $970,000, including equity and bonuses, within three years. 

The 37-year-old said that while her paycheck is a massive perk, he work is rewarding as well. "When I walk into the office, I know I'm working on something really important to the future of this technology, and that most excites me," she said.