> If you don't do that then the optimum financial endgame for a company like Google is to basically turn into some mega corporation that pays its employees almo

> If you don't do that then the optimum financial endgame for a company like Google is to basically turn into some mega corporation that pays its employees almost minimum wage, but provides "free" meals, housing, food, transportation etc. which they don't have to pay any taxes on because it's not being sold to anyone and can all be written off as internal costs. What I find interesting about this is that that seems to be the route Google was going anyway. I remember reading a while back about Google building housing near Mountain View to house employees. In a way, it's not too different from the old company towns of the industrial revolution (see Pullman Strike) and there is a certain logic to it: If you want to retain people, hire them right out of college and drop them into a situation that is very much like the university experience. Long hours, lots of work, but free food and you can more or less walk to work and see your friends on a regular basis. It could be pretty attractive to someone straight out of college.