04-20-2006, 01:54 AM
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All-Star
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BlazerMania
Age: 22
Posts: 8,618
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Interesting find on Paul Allen...
Maybe the real reason why he's getting out of the Blazers is the fact that he is having lawsuits come out of the ying-yang with Microsoft...
Here is an interesting read if you have the time...
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There are hundreds of Microsoft millionaires (and even a few Microsoft billionaires) in the suburbs of Seattle. For the most part, these are people who no longer work for Microsoft, but still own company shares. They worked very hard for years and are now reaping the rewards of that work combined with their good luck. Most of them are proud of their careers, but a few are secretly ashamed. Climb high enough in the organization, and it becomes clear that Microsoft’s success has not always been based on legal or ethical behavior. The company is, after all, a convicted monopolist, and the exercise of those monopoly powers wasn’t just through a Gates or a Ballmer, but also through dozens of top managers, at least some of whom had to have known that what they were doing was wrong. These are smart people, but also people trapped by their own success. Some are in denial, some are just quiet. Nobody wants to risk what they have accumulated by talking about it. You would think great wealth would be freeing, but it isn’t always. Sometimes it is a trap.
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I confirmed this with Peter Newcomb, the editor at Forbes whose job includes keeping track of the world’s 400 richest people and their money. Calling-up Allen’s financial information on his computer screen, Peter pointed to the sports teams, valued together at about $1 billion, the huge investment in Charter Communications, Allen’s Dreamworks stake, another $1 billion in real estate, and, oh yes, that Microsoft collar. “He’s worth a total of about $14 billion at this moment and while he has more than 100 million residual Microsoft shares,“ Peter said, “does Paul Allen care what happens to Microsoft? Only tangentially.“
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My reason for bringing up this topic at this time is because it will all shortly be back in the news as Microsoft goes to court later this year in what might well be its last-ever anti-trust trial. Remember those 19 states and the District of Columbia that settled over time for software vouchers and promises from Microsoft to no longer do evil? Well only Iowa remains, represented by a lawyer from Des Moines named Roxanne Conlin whom I have met. Roxanne is not in any way impressed with Microsoft vouchers, no matter how many there are. Looking for real money for the people of Iowa, Ms. Conlin is about to dredge-up all this old news and put a new spin on it.
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Based purely on character (or lack of it), I confidently predict that Microsoft is going down. It should be interesting.
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__________________
"I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything".
- John McCain
Rodney Stuckey is the future of the league.
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Interesting find on Paul Allen...
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