Hubert Chang - third Google co-founder?

In a video message posted in Vimeo.com, a video-centric social networking site, Hubert Chang claims he is one of the co-founders of Google, alongside Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Chang said he helped Page and Brin come up with the name Google way back in 1997 and even helped them set up the PageRank, Google's business model.

However, instead of jumping into the new venture, Chang said he chose to pursue his Ph.D. at New York University (NYU).

Chang claims that in 2002 he got in touch with Page and Brin and told them of his interest in getting involved with Google. However, he said, he was snubbed.

Chang said he is aware that many people would think of him as insane or a gold-digger or as someone who wants his two seconds of fame. "After viewing this tape, some people might think I'm lying, some might think I'm crazy, some might be upset, while others will consider I'm honest. But the tape has to be made," he said.

In the video Change recalls how he was introduced to Page and Brin by Stanford computer science professor Rajeev Motwani in January 1997 and how the three of them began to work together on the search engine that would grow to become an Internet search giant in the modern world. Today, Google Inc. has a market capitalization of $138 billion and Page and Brin are worth $16 billion each, according to Forbes.

"Google was designed by Larry, Sergey and me, in February 1997," Chang said in in his video. "The design includes the search engine algorithm, the business model (also called AdSense and AdWords), the name of the company, the outline of the system architecture, a corporation culture like a grad school, and Google's growing path."

Chang said, later, in September 1997, when Page and Brin asked him if he would like to put his name on the academic paper that first described Google's Web page ranking system, he declined, choosing instead to focus on his Ph.D. dissertation at NYU.

"It may seem unwise now, but it made sense then," Chang said, as he had to finish his Ph.D. and "putting names on the paper is the commitment to finish the Google project."