Exposing the Motherboard: The Zany Lives of IT Superstars
There are plenty of stories in the news about the brilliant things IT moguls say and do. It isn’t very often we hear about their zany exploits or idiosyncratic behaviors. Today, we reveal some infamous stories of today’s IT Superstars.
Bill Gates, the joy ride years
Oh, to be Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft! Entrepreneurs can only dream of having his mega success. Like most of us, Gates enjoyed his youth. In 1975, at the age of 19, Bill Gates was arrested for driving without a license and speeding. Two years later, he was arrested for not stopping at a stop sign and driving without a license (This Theory about Bill Gates’ Mugshot will Blow your Mind, BuzzFeed.com). Rumor has it, he hotwired a tractor for a joy ride! Gates bagged three arrests by the Albuquerque Police in the late 70’s .
Steve Jobs and the story behind LISA
Before Steve Jobs became co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc., he had been living in Cupertino, California splitting the rent with two other roommates. One of his roommates was high school girlfriend Chris-Ann Brennan. On May 17, 1978, Brennan gave birth to a daughter, naming her Lisa Nicole Brennan. Jobs denied paternity, even swearing in court documents that he couldn’t be Lisa’s father because he was “sterile and infertile.” However, around this same time, Jobs named his company’s first computer “Lisa.” What a coincidence. Jobs said it stood for “Local Integrated Software Architecture.” In 1979, Jobs took a paternity test and it confirmed that he was in fact the father. Lisa and Jobs eventually patched up their relationship. Before his death, Jobs did admit that Lisa, the computer, was really “homage” to his daughter. (Steve Jobs’ roommate reveals the truth, DailyMail.co.uk).
歓迎 (Welcome) to Larry Ellison’s Imperial Estate
Despite the financial challenges at Oracle in 2001, Larry Ellison was putting his attention on beautifying his 23-acre estate in Silicon Valley into a lavish Japanese villa. In order to create a stunning and serene Japanese vibe, Ellison had “more than 500 mature” trees and tons of boulders imported as well as picture-postcard bridges constructed and intricate pathways made in and around his estate. Ellison even had his builders construct a replica of Japan’s famous Katsura Tea House. Ellison ordered 10 additional buildings constructed, added a man-made lake, and filled it with plenty of Koi. The price tag? $200 million. What it’s worth today? $70 million. Ellison may not break even with his “imperial estate,” but he can boast that he owns one of the “world’s most expensive homes” (Ellison Estate, Forbes.com).
Mark Zuckerberg and his Gray T-Shirt
Albert Einstein did it. Steve Jobs did it. And Mark Zuckerberg, the most well-known co-founder of Facebook won’t be the last. What did these visionary men do? Wear the same clothes every day; or at least appear that they were wearing the same clothes. Personal branding – wearing the same distinctive shirt or suit every day – not only makes dressing super easy, but creates a distinctive, signature look (Steve Jobs Always Dressed Exactly the Same, Forbes.com).
In fact, Steve Jobs was so engrossed in the idea of a signature look, he ordered vests for all his Apple employees. Unfortunately the vest didn’t go over well. After presenting the vest to his employees, Jobs had this to say: “Oh man, did I get booed off the stage. Everybody hated the idea” (Steve Jobs Turtleneck, Tumblr.com).
Zuckerberg is also a fan of this signature/uniform look. If you follow Zuckerberg on social media or see him in interviews, chances are you’ll notice he’s wearing the same T-shirt as he did, well, last week, last month, and maybe last year. To him, clothing is “silly.” In a Facebook Q & A Session, Zuckerberg stated that he prefers to “serve his community” more than make decisions on his clothing (Mark Zuckerberg reveals, NewYorkDailyNews.com).
Billionaire Antics on YouTube
If you haven’t seen Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer’s silly videos on YouTube, then it’s something you’ll have to add to your video-bucket list. The current Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, and co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates have way too much fun and we like it. They dress up and spoof movies like Austin Powers, and the Matrix, as well as bop their heads in unison to the tune of The Night at the Roxbury music dressed in 90s suits and gold chains. There are dozens of these gems all over the internet.
Check out their videos here: http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/7/4812794/steve-ballmer-bill-gates-funny-videos-dr-evil-austin-powers
Peter Thiel’s New World Fantasy
What do you do when you’re ranked #4 on Forbes Midas List for being one of the richest people on the planet? Create a new nation! Peter Thiel, American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, most well known for being co-founder of PayPal, donated a half million dollars to his newest venture, the Seasteading Institute. Seasteading is about living in a “permanent, autonomous ocean community.” In other words, it’s a floating city. Its original mission was to establish a new nation complete with its own governance and legal framework. Thanks to Thiel, The Seasteading Institute came to worldwide attention. If it wasn’t initially funded by Thiel, who knows if this new-world idea would have gotten off the ground and onto the seas.
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45edfjh/ellison-estate-woodside-calif/
https://www.tumblr.com/search/steve%20jobs%20turtleneck
http://valleywag.gawker.com/peter-thiel-s-dream-of-a-lawless-utopia-floats-on-1368141049
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