Google Hires Windsurf CEO After OpenAI Deal Falls Through

So, here’s what just happened. OpenAI was supposed to acquire Windsurf. That deal? It’s off the table now. Instead, Google has stepped in—but not to buy the company. They’ve decided to hire Windsurf’s CEO, Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and some key R&D staff directly into the Google DeepMind team.

Let me break it down clearly:

Google is not buying Windsurf. Google is not taking over the company. But they’re taking some of the brains behind it. No ownership. No control. No stake. Just a non-exclusive license to use some of Windsurf’s tech. Simple.

Also read: Nokia’s Parent Company Shuts Down US Operations

Now that Mohan and others are heading to Google, Windsurf isn’t just standing still. Jeff Wang, previously head of business, is now the interim CEO, while Graham Moreno steps in as president.

Their main focus at Google? Agentic coding—that’s AI that can act more independently. And they’ll mostly be working on Gemini, which Google has been pushing as one of the strongest models out there right now.

In fact, Google’s spokesperson, Chris Pappas, said it clearly: “Gemini is one of the best models available… we’re excited to welcome top AI coding talent from Windsurf.”

As for how much Google paid to bring the team over? They’re not saying. But remember, OpenAI was previously ready to drop $3 billion for Windsurf. So you can imagine—this wasn’t a cheap handshake.