4 ms·

They did have a falling out but it seems they reconciled. Paul Allen claims BillG tried to cut him out of Microsoft when he was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's

They did have a falling out but it seems they reconciled. Paul Allen claims BillG tried to cut him out of Microsoft when he was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.

DenisM 8y ago
Source?
- TomVDB 8y ago
  https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-rip-me-off/ https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-... > Paul Allen: Gates, Ballmer tried to 'rip me off' > "One evening in late December 1982, I heard Bill and Steve speaking heatedly in Bill's office and paused outside to listen in," he writes in his memoir. "It was easy to get the gist of the conversation. They were bemoaning my recent lack of production and discussing how they might dilute my Microsoft equity by issuing options to themselves and other shareholders. It was clear that they'd been thinking about this for some time."
  - DenisM 8y ago
    Thanks. Did we ever hear Gates’ side of the story? I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone by issuing more stock to the remaining productive collaborators. That would depend on the scale, and method used to calculate the proportion, and of on obtaining consent from the diluted party.
    - runciblespoon 8y ago
      @DenisM: “I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone” .. Cutting a business partner out of his fair share while he's in the middle of battling a life threatening disease, a good reason. I guess you went to the same school of ethics as Gates :]
      - dexterdog 8y ago
        Many companies can die with the dying partner if the remaining partners are not able to capitalize and run the business in his absence.
        hedvig 8y ago
        I see it more as greed than administrative prudence.
        cortesoft 8y ago
        Wouldn't we have to know about details of the situation?
      - DenisM 8y ago
        This happens every year, and in every single company that you know of. People who remain employed are given retention grants, diluting the people who are no longer employed and receive no such grants. Do you think that's unethical?
    - __blockcipher__ 8y ago
      Heh, you can find apologists for anything these days huh
    - hueving 8y ago
      Not in this case. Clearly Microsoft did fine without doing it .

They did have a falling out but it seems they reconciled. Paul Allen claims BillG tried to cut him out of Microsoft when he was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.

DenisM 8y ago

Source?

TomVDB 8y ago
https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-rip-me-off/ https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-... > Paul Allen: Gates, Ballmer tried to 'rip me off' > "One evening in late December 1982, I heard Bill and Steve speaking heatedly in Bill's office and paused outside to listen in," he writes in his memoir. "It was easy to get the gist of the conversation. They were bemoaning my recent lack of production and discussing how they might dilute my Microsoft equity by issuing options to themselves and other shareholders. It was clear that they'd been thinking about this for some time."
- DenisM 8y ago
  Thanks. Did we ever hear Gates’ side of the story? I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone by issuing more stock to the remaining productive collaborators. That would depend on the scale, and method used to calculate the proportion, and of on obtaining consent from the diluted party.
  - runciblespoon 8y ago
    @DenisM: “I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone” .. Cutting a business partner out of his fair share while he's in the middle of battling a life threatening disease, a good reason. I guess you went to the same school of ethics as Gates :]
    - dexterdog 8y ago
      Many companies can die with the dying partner if the remaining partners are not able to capitalize and run the business in his absence.
      - hedvig 8y ago
        I see it more as greed than administrative prudence.
        cortesoft 8y ago
        Wouldn't we have to know about details of the situation?
    - DenisM 8y ago
      This happens every year, and in every single company that you know of. People who remain employed are given retention grants, diluting the people who are no longer employed and receive no such grants. Do you think that's unethical?
  - __blockcipher__ 8y ago
    Heh, you can find apologists for anything these days huh
  - hueving 8y ago
    Not in this case. Clearly Microsoft did fine without doing it .