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So have Larry and Sergei completely checked out? It seems a little weird that they would just turn their back completely on the company they created with their

So have Larry and Sergei completely checked out? It seems a little weird that they would just turn their back completely on the company they created with their own hands. Particularly since they still have the controlling interest, and could do pretty much whatever they feel like with the company. That's a lot of power to not use.

ocdtrekkie 6y ago
They don't want to be the ones hauled in front of Congress. Every other company testifying yesterday's actual head of the company was there, but Google's was merely a lackey. Larry and Sergey have just slid themselves out of the official structure, but their share voting power keeps them squarely in charge. You don't hear about what they're up to because they can afford what they've taken from everyone else: Privacy.
CobrastanJorji 6y ago
Sure, but say you're a crazy rich billionaire and you've found you kind of hate being a CEO. What I think a lot of crazy rich CEOs don't understand, which Larry Page did understand, is that you can just stop. You don't need to give away your control, you don't need to give away your fortune, you can just point to somebody nearby and say "you're in charge now," then just go live on an island in the middle of nowhere and watch old movies or build ships in a bottle or whatever it is you like to do. Why is it a problem for you that you have a lot of power that you're not using? It'd be a hassle to figure out who to give away the power to, so just keep it. It always weirds me out when I see these 75 year old CEOs with massive wealth spending their retirement years trying to get Walgreens to grow an extra 5% this quarter or something. Why are you doing this? Are you that invested in the future of Walgreens? You're got $8 billion, maybe take a break or try and fix the world or do something that will bring you joy.
- searchableguy 6y ago
  At that point, they enjoy green uplifting lines more than anything else. I know my grandpa loves some pointless things as a habit. Maybe they have forgotten how to enjoy life through other means.
- earthscienceman 6y ago
  Thisoght be one of my favorite hacker news comments I've ever read.
  - Jetrel 6y ago
    Yeah, I think the OP is spot on; this is exactly the sort of thing that spurs i.e. Bill Gates. He basically won the omega-lottery, and then was like "okay, now that I've rubbed the genie's lamp and have a bajillion dollars - what do I actually want to do with my life? Someone else can run the helm and keep the money machine churning, but is there a better purpose for me, personally?" I think in the case of microsoft, there was also an angle that, yeah, on some level microsoft itself had been a changing-the-world-for-the-better venture in and of itself, but Gates' own agency within that was no longer important, because the core part of it was already done. Sometimes the job of a "visionary CEO" is just to bring the horse to water; to riff on Netscape, for example, someone had to build the first mass-market web browser, and it was very technically hard, and had to be done well enough on the first go to dodge the nintendo virtual-boy trap, which meant that for a while, it had to be a really successful business. But once someone made a really well-made web browser, and accultured a large number of people that "a web browser and a a world-wide-web" are important things for humanity to have - after that, it was likely that the building of web browsers would become a self-sustaining reaction constantly pulling in really smart people, much better qualified than the original developers. At that point the original guys could choose to die at the chalkboard, but they can practically just sit back and watch, and sometimes even if you stay involved, its smart to take a backseat role and let the folks who will be your successors get used to the role (in fact, a lot of times, it's much better to focus on training them, and make sure lots of the intangibles you may have only done "incidentally" are also getting passed on).
- xyzzyz 6y ago
  Maybe managing a multi billion dollar organization is what’s bringing joy to them? I mean, it kinda has to do that for them to build such an org in the first place. There is a difference between building something that’s your, and working for someone else for a wage. Your argument is like asking why don’t people take a break from being involved in their children’s lives once their adult and settled in lives on their own.
  - Talanes 6y ago
    To be fair, many children have asked that question of their own parents.
- ngngngng 6y ago
  > Why are you doing this? I can't stop laughing at this line. Honestly though 75 is a few years away from death for the average person. Go throw a baseball with your offspring.
- chrisco255 6y ago
  Because they find enjoyment in it. Neither Larry nor Sergey probably set out to be CEOs of megacorps when they started. But many do, and many love it. Nothing wrong with that. Retirement is boring. Different strokes for different folks.
- johnyzee 6y ago
  > maybe take a break or try and fix the world That's kind of what I was thinking. You have full control over one of the world's largest corporations and war chests, what better chance will anyone ever get to try to fix the world? I appreciate that some may just decide that they'd rather do something else, but I feel that's a little sad. There's really no small things you want to do, small positive changes you could make, with all that power?
- barry-cotter 6y ago
  > It always weirds me out when I see these 75 year old CEOs with massive wealth spending their retirement years trying to get Walgreens to grow an extra 5% this quarter or something. Why are you doing this? Are you that invested in the future of Walgreens? You're got $8 billion, maybe take a break or try and fix the world or do something that will bring you joy. Doing things you’re really good at brings lots of people joy. Those people are really good at running companies. A 75 year old artist or novelist who keeps working doesn’t get too many people asking why, not does anyone ask Arnold why he’s still on the steroids, steak and gym plan. Overwhelmingly the people who are the best on the world at something enjoy it.
- sumedh 6y ago
  > Why are you doing this? No offence but if you ask such questions you probably wont become a billionaire. These guys have a different drive and ambition, you dont just lose it when you become old (and still be healthy)

ocdtrekkie 6y ago

They don't want to be the ones hauled in front of Congress. Every other company testifying yesterday's actual head of the company was there, but Google's was merely a lackey. Larry and Sergey have just slid themselves out of the official structure, but their share voting power keeps them squarely in charge. You don't hear about what they're up to because they can afford what they've taken from everyone else: Privacy.

CobrastanJorji 6y ago

Sure, but say you're a crazy rich billionaire and you've found you kind of hate being a CEO. What I think a lot of crazy rich CEOs don't understand, which Larry Page did understand, is that you can just stop. You don't need to give away your control, you don't need to give away your fortune, you can just point to somebody nearby and say "you're in charge now," then just go live on an island in the middle of nowhere and watch old movies or build ships in a bottle or whatever it is you like to do. Why is it a problem for you that you have a lot of power that you're not using? It'd be a hassle to figure out who to give away the power to, so just keep it. It always weirds me out when I see these 75 year old CEOs with massive wealth spending their retirement years trying to get Walgreens to grow an extra 5% this quarter or something. Why are you doing this? Are you that invested in the future of Walgreens? You're got $8 billion, maybe take a break or try and fix the world or do something that will bring you joy.

searchableguy 6y ago
At that point, they enjoy green uplifting lines more than anything else. I know my grandpa loves some pointless things as a habit. Maybe they have forgotten how to enjoy life through other means.
earthscienceman 6y ago
Thisoght be one of my favorite hacker news comments I've ever read.
- Jetrel 6y ago
  Yeah, I think the OP is spot on; this is exactly the sort of thing that spurs i.e. Bill Gates. He basically won the omega-lottery, and then was like "okay, now that I've rubbed the genie's lamp and have a bajillion dollars - what do I actually want to do with my life? Someone else can run the helm and keep the money machine churning, but is there a better purpose for me, personally?" I think in the case of microsoft, there was also an angle that, yeah, on some level microsoft itself had been a changing-the-world-for-the-better venture in and of itself, but Gates' own agency within that was no longer important, because the core part of it was already done. Sometimes the job of a "visionary CEO" is just to bring the horse to water; to riff on Netscape, for example, someone had to build the first mass-market web browser, and it was very technically hard, and had to be done well enough on the first go to dodge the nintendo virtual-boy trap, which meant that for a while, it had to be a really successful business. But once someone made a really well-made web browser, and accultured a large number of people that "a web browser and a a world-wide-web" are important things for humanity to have - after that, it was likely that the building of web browsers would become a self-sustaining reaction constantly pulling in really smart people, much better qualified than the original developers. At that point the original guys could choose to die at the chalkboard, but they can practically just sit back and watch, and sometimes even if you stay involved, its smart to take a backseat role and let the folks who will be your successors get used to the role (in fact, a lot of times, it's much better to focus on training them, and make sure lots of the intangibles you may have only done "incidentally" are also getting passed on).
xyzzyz 6y ago
Maybe managing a multi billion dollar organization is what’s bringing joy to them? I mean, it kinda has to do that for them to build such an org in the first place. There is a difference between building something that’s your, and working for someone else for a wage. Your argument is like asking why don’t people take a break from being involved in their children’s lives once their adult and settled in lives on their own.
- Talanes 6y ago
  To be fair, many children have asked that question of their own parents.
ngngngng 6y ago
> Why are you doing this? I can't stop laughing at this line. Honestly though 75 is a few years away from death for the average person. Go throw a baseball with your offspring.
chrisco255 6y ago
Because they find enjoyment in it. Neither Larry nor Sergey probably set out to be CEOs of megacorps when they started. But many do, and many love it. Nothing wrong with that. Retirement is boring. Different strokes for different folks.
johnyzee 6y ago
> maybe take a break or try and fix the world That's kind of what I was thinking. You have full control over one of the world's largest corporations and war chests, what better chance will anyone ever get to try to fix the world? I appreciate that some may just decide that they'd rather do something else, but I feel that's a little sad. There's really no small things you want to do, small positive changes you could make, with all that power?
barry-cotter 6y ago
> It always weirds me out when I see these 75 year old CEOs with massive wealth spending their retirement years trying to get Walgreens to grow an extra 5% this quarter or something. Why are you doing this? Are you that invested in the future of Walgreens? You're got $8 billion, maybe take a break or try and fix the world or do something that will bring you joy. Doing things you’re really good at brings lots of people joy. Those people are really good at running companies. A 75 year old artist or novelist who keeps working doesn’t get too many people asking why, not does anyone ask Arnold why he’s still on the steroids, steak and gym plan. Overwhelmingly the people who are the best on the world at something enjoy it.
sumedh 6y ago
> Why are you doing this? No offence but if you ask such questions you probably wont become a billionaire. These guys have a different drive and ambition, you dont just lose it when you become old (and still be healthy)