Google Buys Origin Point

Google's birthday present for its eight year anniversary was the 1,900-square-foot home in Menlo Park formerly owned by Susan Wojcicki, now Google's vice president of product management. It was in Wojcicki's rented garage that Sergey Brin and Larry Page have founded Google, initially paying a rent of $1,700 per month for a five month period. The financial details of the transactions were not disclosed but property prices in the area range from $1 million to $1.3 million.

Indisputably, Google's birthplace would have tipped the balance as it is considered a landmark, already drowning in a constant flux of tourists. When Google resided in the Menlo Park garage it had just been incorporated and owned a bankroll of $1 million. From there, the Mountain View Company has grown to a market value of $125 billion and a staff of 8,000. Google's newest headquarters just six miles to the south is 1-million-square-foot and worth an estimated $319 million. "We plan to preserve the property as a part of our living legacy," said Google spokesman Jon Murchinson.