A Google executive's move from its Android team to a Chinese smartphone-maker this week sparked intrigue about the personal lives of the search company's leadership.

Hugo Barra, who spent more than five years at Google in its London and California offices, will join Xiaomi in October to help it sell its Apple-like devices outside greater China for the first time. His exit coincided with news that Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, has separated from his wife and started a relationship with another Google employee.

The 27-year-old employee, a marketing manager for the Google Glass project that Mr Brin oversees, is Mr Barra's former girlfriend. While their timing is unclear, a Google source said that these events were unrelated.
– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2013