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archershipsBe sure to check out the notes section for Mean Genes
I reminded Clark that he had said that once he became a real, after-tax billionaire he'd retire. He now said, without missing a beat: "I just want
to make more money than Larry Ellison. Then I'll stop." This was news. I pointed out that he'd never before mentioned this ambition. "I just
want to have more money than Larry Ellison," he said again. "I don't know why. But once I have more money than Larry Ellison I'll be
satisfied."
Larry Ellison, the C.E.O. of Oracle, the biggest software company in the valley, was worth about $9 billion; Clark was, just then, worth a bit
more than $3 billion. On the other hand, Ellison's wealth was completely tied up in Oracle stock, which had mostly missed out on the Internet
boom. At the rate Clark's wealth was growing he'd pass Ellison within six months. I pointed this out and asked the obvious question:
"What happens after you have more than Larry Ellison? Would you want to have more money than, say, Bill Gates?... Oh, no," Clark said,
waving my question to the side of the room where the ridiculous ideas gather to commiserate with one another. "That'll never happen." A few
minutes later, after the conversation had turned to other matters, he came clean. "You know," he said, "just for one moment, I would kind of
like to have the most. Just for one tiny moment."
I reminded Clark that he had said that once he became a real, after-tax billionaire he'd retire. He now said, without missing a beat: "I just want
to make more money than Larry Ellison. Then I'll stop." This was news. I pointed out that he'd never before mentioned this ambition. "I just
want to have more money than Larry Ellison," he said again. "I don't know why. But once I have more money than Larry Ellison I'll be
satisfied."
Larry Ellison, the C.E.O. of Oracle, the biggest software company in the valley, was worth about $9 billion; Clark was, just then, worth a bit
more than $3 billion. On the other hand, Ellison's wealth was completely tied up in Oracle stock, which had mostly missed out on the Internet
boom. At the rate Clark's wealth was growing he'd pass Ellison within six months. I pointed this out and asked the obvious question:
"What happens after you have more than Larry Ellison? Would you want to have more money than, say, Bill Gates?... Oh, no," Clark said,
waving my question to the side of the room where the ridiculous ideas gather to commiserate with one another. "That'll never happen." A few
minutes later, after the conversation had turned to other matters, he came clean. "You know," he said, "just for one moment, I would kind of
like to have the most. Just for one tiny moment."