Eric Schmidt, the 70-year-old former Google CEO, accused by 31-year-old ex-girlfriend Michelle Ritter for stalking, abuse. Here's all about the former Google CEO and billionaire’s ‘toxic’ love triangle

In a scandal straight out of Silicon Valley’s gossip mill, 31-year-old Michelle Ritter has filed a bombshell lawsuit against Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt, accusing the 70-year-old billionaire of stalking, abuse, and what she calls “toxic masculinity.”

The explosive claims come after their five-year entanglement—both romantic and business—went up in flames. The duo co-founded the AI startup Steel Perlot, a $100 million venture that now finds itself mired in controversy and heartbreak.

Ritter, who once lived in Schmidt’s $150 million Bel Air mansion and drew a $1 million annual salary, allegedly wanted the tech titan to divorce his wife of 45 years, Wendy Schmidt. But insiders say Schmidt balked, unwilling to risk his $32 billion fortune or his picture-perfect philanthropic image with Wendy, who resides on Nantucket and is a fixture on the charity circuit.

Eric Schmidt's Wife and Girlfriend Hierarchy

According to the New York Post, Schmidt has long maintained a “wife and girlfriends hierarchy.” While Wendy graces state dinners and elite galas, mistresses like Ritter were reportedly reserved for Oscar parties or private gatherings at NYC hotspot Zero Bond. Within the tech world, Ritter was dubbed the “tech wife”, while Wendy carried the title of the “philanthropy wife.”

Ritter’s lawyer hit back at Schmidt’s camp, calling the tech mogul’s denials a “smear campaign.” “Eric Schmidt controlled the money, the company, and the narrative,” the attorney said. “He’s furious because she walked away—and he’s trying to rewrite history.”

Behind the glossy AI branding, Steel Perlot was reportedly a financial disaster—posting $61 million in losses and less than $200,000 in revenue since 2021. Ex-employees painted a chaotic picture of Ritter’s leadership, claiming she ran meetings in bikinis and surrounded herself with “crypto kids barely out of college.”

Ritter once sought a restraining order against Schmidt, later withdrawn, but her lawsuit now paints a darker picture—accusing him of using an “absolute digital surveillance system” to track her every move.

Schmidt, who has been linked to a string of glamorous women—including designer Shoshanna Gruss, socialite Ulla Parker, and ex-Olympic skater Alexandra Duisberg—met Ritter when she was a student at Columbia in 2020. She’s eight years younger than his late daughter, Alison, who passed away in 2017.

The pair were last seen publicly together at a Richard Branson spacecraft launch in 2021, rubbing shoulders with power players like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Henry Kissinger.

With Ritter now locked out of Steel Perlot’s systems and possibly job-hunting, the real showdown moves to court. The next hearing in the case is set for December 4—and Silicon Valley will be watching every twist of this billionaire breakup.