Google founders spar over 'party plane'
Print storyGiant Brin needs a giant bed
Posted in Bootnotes, 7th July 2006 20:44 GMT
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Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin need more adult supervision than previously thought.
While the two billionaires agree that they both love colored balls, they can't agree on what types of beds should be placed in their Boeing 767 wide body corporate jet. Brin and Page broke out in a dispute over whether or not Brin should have a long California King size bed in their plane, according to documents tied to a lawsuit over the jet. Ultimately, Google CEO Eric Schmidt had to chime in and make the bed decision for the youngsters.
"Sergey, you can have whatever bed you want in your room; Larry, you can have whatever kind of bed you want in your bedroom. Let's move on," Schmidt told the pair, according to the court documents.
The Wall Street Journal today made the nasty bed dispute public after uncovering a battle between Blue City – Google's holding company for the plane – and Leslie Jennings – a designer contracted to do customer work on the Google craft. Blue City canned Jennings last October, claiming he failed to rework the Boeing as requested. Meanwhile, Jennings is seeking payment for his work and has denied Blue City's claims.
With legal costs rising, Jennings is none too happy about the situation.
"They're intent on seeing whether they can break every bone in my body and drain every cent out of me," he told the paper.
The battle has turned up some wonderful details about the Google boys. According to the court documents, Schmidt has referred to the corporate jet as a "party plane." And, in fact, the Googlers wanted things such as hammocks hanging from the ceiling and a cocktail lounge in their jet.
This matter makes it harder to take Brin and Page's "casual guy" shtick seriously. How much longer before they cast off the t-shirts and jeans and appear in public as the Armani lovers they really are?
More from the Wall Street Journal here. ®
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