Has ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt plunged head-over-heels into a budding new romance, or are they just baseless rumors? The Billionaire tech executive’s current romantic interest is reportedly more than four decades younger than he is, according to a German tabloid report.
German daily Bild first reported the business magnate being seen with Gloria-Sophie Burkandt, the New York–based daughter of Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. The tabloid sparked interest in the nature of their relationship, with headlines questioning whether the pair were really “in love.”
A source close to the former Google CEO has called the relationship “just a friendship,” but the high-profile nature of both individuals has sparked considerable intrigue into the dynamics of their association, marking an intersection between Silicon Valley wealth and elite European political circles. Neither Gloria-Sophie Burkandt nor Eric Schmidt have not commented on their rumored relationship.
Who is Gloria-Sophie Burkandt, the ex-Google CEO’s rumored girlfriend?
According to the above-mentioned German tabloid, Gloria-Sophie Burkandt, 27, is currently working on her PhD thesis in New York. However, the details of the institution and the dissertation topic have not been disclosed to the public. The daughter of the Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder is “an economist, model, and author.”
Shuttling between New York, Los Angeles, and Germany, Burkandt is slowly ingratiating herself in the elite and power circles of business, arts, and politics. Reportedly, Burkandt has completed her undergraduate studies in business administration and economics and has earned a master’s degree in business management.
Furthermore, the German model has made many appearances in fashion publications, including Vogue Turkey and other European outlets. She modeled for various editorial fashion shoots and luxury and lifestyle campaigns.
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As an author, she has written several pieces for Teen Vogue, one of which included a December 2022 article detailing her “s*xual harassment and coercion” in her “private and professional life. In the article, she described the horrors of being “touched inappropriately” by her supervisor while working as an 18-year-old intern. “He would put his hands on my shoulders and waist when we’d run into each other in the elevator or kitchen,” she wrote.
According to the information furnished by The Post, Burkandt is residing in a luxury rental apartment tower in Midtown South. Burkandt previously appeared on the televised game show “Germany’s Dumbest Celebrity,” where she was having a hard time with basic spelling and general-knowledge questions.
Reports have stated that the former tech executive is in an open marriage, an arrangement that has neither been confirmed by him nor his wife. The tabloids have also speculated that they are”separated”. Nevertheless, Schmidt has been involved in a series of high-profile relationships, several of which ended in a bitter legal dispute. As for his current rumored relationship, we can neither confirm nor deny.
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