Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, has been seen back together with his wife, Wendy, after investing $100 million in his much younger girlfriend Michelle Ritter’s tech startup. The couple was spotted at a birthday party for Obama White House interior designer Michael S. Smith, looking happy and affectionate as they left the event. This public outing marks the first time the Schmidts have been seen together since 2019.
Ritter, a Columbia law graduate, launched her startup accelerator around the same time she began dating Schmidt. She has described their relationship in a business sense, with Schmidt taking on the role of a very active chairman in exchange for his financial support. This appears to be the first time Schmidt has publicly mixed business with pleasure. Despite their professional relationship, Schmidt and Ritter have not been seen together in public since April 2023 at a Beverly Hills party that included other high-profile guests.
Schmidt’s relationship with Ritter became public in 2021, even though he had been previously dubbed “New York City’s hottest bachelor.” Despite being 30 years apart in age, Schmidt and Ritter traveled around the world together, all while Schmidt continued to celebrate his 40-year marriage to Wendy. Sources have suggested that the Schmidts have had an open relationship for at least a decade, allowing Schmidt to have multiple relationships with various high-profile women.
Schmidt has been linked with other high-profile women such as fashion designer Shoshanna Gruss, socialite Ulla Parker, and former CNBC correspondent Kate Bohner. His dating habits have been described as having a “ship in every port” by one of his exes. Schmidt and Wendy were last seen together in public in November 2019, attending a gala in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Wendy remains focused on philanthropic endeavors, serving as the president of the Schmidt Family Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
Wendy, a former journalism student, is actively involved in her and her husband’s philanthropic ventures and serves on the board of Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that reports on climate science. Despite Schmidt’s involvement in various relationships and investments, Wendy continues to remain active in her own personal and professional pursuits. Suggestions of an open arrangement between the Schmidts and Schmidt’s public relationship with Ritter have continued to make headlines, bringing attention to the personal life of this high-profile couple. Schmidt has yet to comment on his personal relationships, while Ritter has declined to comment on her relationship with him.
