Ex-Google boss Eric Schmidt, 70, has been romantically linked to the 27-year-old German daughter of Bavaria’s minister-president after the pair were spotted together at Davos.
The billionaire was seen with model Gloria-Sophie Burkandt at the high-profile global event in Switzerland last month.
According to Germany’s biggest newspaper, BILD, the pair are an item.
Their rumored romance – and 43-year age gap – have drawn intense attention on both sides of the Atlantic. Schmidt is 21 years older than Burkandt’s father, Markus Soder.
BILD said Schmidt and Burkandt have spent a lot of time together in recent weeks, traveling across the United States, India, and Europe. They are expected to attend the Munich Security Conference next week.
A source close to Schmidt’s circle told the newspaper he would not formally describe the connection as a romantic relationship, saying instead that the two are ‘close friends’.
Despite being married to his wife, Wendy, for 45 years, Schmidt has been recently linked to multiple young brunettes as it’s rumored that they are in open relationship.
According to BILD, Schmidt and Burkandt are believed to have met at Harvard University in late 2025. Shortly afterward, they began appearing together at major international gatherings.
Burkandt’s father, Soder, is the leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Social Union, placing her at the center of one of Europe’s most influential political families.
She has built her own public profile as a model, author, and public speaker, while also serving as a patron of the Richard Wagner for Children education initiative, linked to the Bayreuth Festival.
