Google seems to have a serious internal culture problem that

Google has been dealing with internal and external criticism over the past few years on everything from the lack of diversity in its workforce to the nature of its work in China. One of the main sources of these problems is the company's acceptance of "aberrant geniuses," according to former CEO Eric Schmidt. "These aberrant geniuses are needed because they are the ones who drive, in most cases, the excellence of the product," he told Wired in a recent report . One of the "aberrant geniuses" was former Android boss Andy Rubin, who left Google in 2014 with a $90 million bonus after being accused of coercing a co-worker into performing oral sex. Discover more stories on  Business Insider Spain . Google has had a tough few years .

In June 2018, its large government contract for Project Maven was scrapped when company executives bowed to internal criticism . Then in November, employees walked out in protest over allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against top company executives . Finally, in July, after employees objected to the launch of a censored search engine being developed for China, it was discovered that the project Middle East Phone Number List  had also been canceled . It turns out that all of those problems were rooted in Google's culture, according to an extensive investigation by Wired . Andy Rubin, former head of Android. Andy Rubin, former head of Android. getty Accepting ''aberrant geniuses" The problem with Google's culture is summed up succinctly in a quote from former Google CEO and Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt.



You need these aberrant geniuses because they are what drive, in most cases, product excellence ," Schmidt told Wired in an interview earlier this year. One of the "aberrant geniuses" named in the piece is former Android boss Andy Rubin, who left Google in 2014 with a $90 million exit package after being accused of coercing a coworker into practice oral sex. The products referred to are some of Google's best , products used by billions of people around the world, such as Gmail, Google Maps or Google Translate. They are also tremendously important pieces of Google's business. Read more: 15 incredibly useful Google services and products that you probably didn't know about That's why Schmidt's claim that "aberrant geniuses" are given more leeway than other employees is so important: It's a cultural norm that allows executives to value certain employees in such a way that, even after they are accuse them of sexual misconduct—and Google deems that accusation credible after an investigation—the accused person can walk away receiving a large bonus, and without suffering any repercussions.