rudedog:
Off Topic, sort of: Breakup of Microsoft.
Interesting info in May 11 New Yorker review of book on John D. Rockefeller. Comparisms to Gates and Microsoft are often misguided. Though both use their lock on their industries to gain advantage over competition, oil in 1906 and computer software today are too different to make many direct comparisms.
However, it mentions that when Teddy Roosevelt succeeded in breaking up Standard oil, in 1906, the successor companies (Exxon, Mobil, Amoco, Cheveron) ended up being worth twice as much as the former whole. Rockefeller, who still owned large shares of each of the companies, saw his wealth double, much to the dismay of his enemies.
Maybe Gates shouldn't be too quick to fight a breakup of MSFT into two companies. What would he do with 100 billion?
Also noted that Rockefeller's wealth expressed as a percent of 1906 gnp vs. todays gnp: His 900 million then would be the same as 200 billion today. So Bill has a way to go. |
