An top Android executive is reportedly leaving Google and taking a job with China-based Xiaomi, a new report says, suggesting that he has resigned before a personal matter involving other Googlers may have pushed him to do so.
Hugo Barra, Google's Vice President of Product Management for Android or the guy we kept seeing on stage during various Android-related events in the past years, is reportedly leaving the company.
According to sources familiar with the matter that spoke with AllThingsD, Barra is leaving to take a job with Xiaomi, the extremely popular Chinese Android handset maker.
The reasons for his departure are currently unknown, but it looks like Barra has "tendered his resignation, [...] before a recent personal situation related to the end of a romantic relationship he had with another Googler and is unrelated."
We normally wouldn't be interested in such matters, but it looks like this particular romantic relationship involves one of Google's co-founders.
Apparently Sergey Brin has separated with his wife, and he's in a new relationship with a Google employee – apparently the Googler Barra split up with at some point before resigning from Google. We won't further dwell into matters of the heart on this one, but we'll add that a divorce between Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki won't result in troubles for Google, as there's a prenup in place that will protect Brin's Google voting powers.
Interestingly though, Wojcicki's sister remains a top executive at Google – Senior Vice President of Advertising and Commerce – and happens to be the owner of the garage where Google established its first headquarters "in its formative days."
Moving back to Barra, it's not clear what he'll do at Xiaomi, when his employment with Google will end, or who will replace him at Google:
A Google representative could not immediately say how Barra's responsibilities will be handled. Barra was not immediately available for comment.
We'll certainly keep an eye out on this one, as it's certainly an important event in Android's history, with Barra being the second top exec that leaves Android after Andy Rubin.
Barra was most recently seen on stage during Google's Nexus 7 (2013) media event.
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