Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Apple Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (33525)	5/31/2002 9:53:23 AM
From: Alomex	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 213177

Don got it right of course. What Allen did, while technically worthwhile is no different than what the founder of Borland did, yet Allen is the third richest man in the world and Phillip Khan does not even appear in the list. The difference is, of course, a self-driven, merciless genius who knew the value of a well-crafted licensing agreement from having been brought up at a lawyer's household. Yes, Bill Gates himself.

To: Don Green who wrote (33525)	5/31/2002 11:59:45 AM
From: miraje	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 213177

OT I've been a MSFT shareholder for 15 odd years. I think the ongoing anti-trust jihad is nothing more than a disgusting politically motivated incursion into the free market. I'm also of the opinion that Ralph Nader is, for the most part, a tired old loonie left crackpot who spouts off stale platitudes. That being said, the following quote from your Nader link, thirdworldtraveler.com, clearly shows what an unprincipled jerk Paul Allen is. Screwing the taxpayers of Washington state to pay for his toys was truly revolting, IMO. I've voted my displeasure with Allen on my MSFT proxy ballot for some years. Regards, JB ...no case illustrates the hijacking of democratic procedures more clearly than billionaire Paul Allen's buying of an especially-made-for-Allen Washington state referendum to approve $300 million in public subsidies to build a football stadium for his Seattle Seahawks. Mega-billionaire Allen, co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates and one of the richest men in the world, bought the referendum both literally and figuratively. In a stunningly brazen maneuver, he paid the state of Washington for the costs of running the special referendum election in June 1997. Although later challenged as a violation of the state's constitution, the state Supreme Court upheld the private financing of the election. But even the Supreme Court majority which upheld the constitutionality of the election purchase blanched at its political ramifications. "Troubling questions may arise, such as whether any wealthy entity could persuade the legislature to place a measure on the ballot provided the costs of the election were paid," wrote Justice Barbara Madsen for the majority. Having paid for the issue to get on the ballot, Allen then waged a $6.3 million campaign-the most expensive in Washington state history-to convince voters to support the $300 million public subsidy to the stadium. He devoted $2.3 million to radio and TV ads. In total, Allen outspent opponents of the referendum by a 42-to-1 margin. Allen's investment proved just enough: Washington voters, initially opposed by overwhelming numbers to the idea of public funding for the stadium, approved the referendum with a 51 percent majority.