When eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion in 2002, it received a lot more than a great system for online payments. The acquisition, like so many in Silicon Valley, also brought in a horde of top-notch talent. But there was one smart guy at PayPal that eBay CEO Meg Whitman didn’t get: Peter Thiel, the CEO. She’s got […]
Author: Simon
Baseball’s Billionaires by the Bay: Forbes, September 2010
Baseball billionaires? No, I’m not talking about the players – they may be millionaires, but I have yet to hear of a billion dollar ballplayer. (That may happen: Alex Rodriguez‘ last contract, the richest ever, paid him more than a quarter billion dollars over 10 years.) But the owners, now there’s another story. Looking at my […]
Steve Jobs, the Control Freak, Lightens Up: Forbes, September 2010
Steve Jobs, Apple’s iconic CEO and number 43 on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest Americans, has long both thrilled and infuriated geeks — thrilled them with his company’s gorgeous, easy-to-use products, and infuriated them by maintaining tight control over them, even in an age of increasing online openness.
Economic Impact Report: UCSF, June 2010
In an age of remarkable scientific and technological advancements, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) stands as one of the principal economic engines in San Francisco and the nine-county Bay Area. UCSF benefits the entire San Francisco Bay Area, generating more than 39,000 jobs and producing an estimated $6.2 billion economic impact when including […]
Trendy Technology Leads to New Jobs: Los Angeles Times, March 2010
Reporting from San Francisco — The technology industry is always looking for the next new thing, and that’s helping drive the latest hiring push. Such initiatives as green technology and “cloud computing” could even fuel an overall economic comeback, technology analysts say. “After three long years of putting off technology investments, companies inevitably want to […]
High-tech Industry is Powering Up Again: Los Angeles Times, March 2010
An early look at the potential for tech to lead the way out of our “jobless” recession. High-tech Industry is Powering Up Again It looked as if the economy had dealt a powerful blow to L.J. Mottel, a 35-year-old father of two, when his employer, the Fontainebleau hotel and resort in Las Vegas, filed for […]
No Surprise: Apple Unveils Long Awaited Tablet Computer: Los Angeles Times, January 2010
Steve Jobs shows off the unfortunately named iPad. Credit: Tony Avelar / Bloomberg, via the LA Times. I live-blogged the unveiling of the iPad in San Francisco for the Los Angeles Times, using my Twitter account. After years of speculation that Apple Inc. would bring to market a new tablet computer, the company today took the covers […]
Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Wants More Computers in Schools: Los Angeles TImes, October 2009
High school dropout Sergey Brin has a few ideas on how the educational system should be improved. Not surprisingly from a guy who co-founded Google, where he still serves as president of technology and one of the company’s three key decision-makers, a lot of those ideas center on computers. “It’s important for students to be put […]
Facebook Becoming Big Friend of Small Business: Los Angeles Times, October 2009
Charles Nelson, president of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the Beverly Hills baker to the stars, doesn’t have a Facebook profile. Nelson, who works seven days a week, has no time for chatting online with Facebook friends. But Nelson is logged on to Facebook all the time. That’s because more than 70,000 people have declared themselves fans of […]
Facebook Serves as Portal to Customer’ Thoughts: Los Angeles Times, October 2009
Perhaps the most compelling reason for a business to get on Facebook is the likelihood that its customers are already there — and talking about it. Charles Nelson, president of Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, said it’s crucial to pay attention to what people are saying about your business online. He and others at Sprinkles […]