On Jun 27, 2006, at 2:04 PM, Willy Greenfields wrote:
> Some see him as an uncorrupted heartlander
> that beats Big City elites (Wall Street) by refusing
> to play their game, while Doug basically equates him
> with Wall Street itself. I'm generally awed by the
> guy
He's not equal to Wall Street itself. He's more liberal than your average stock trader, and he's got a longer time horizon. That conceded, I don't really get what social contribution he's made that justifies his wealth; I'm certainly no Microsoft fan, but at least the company's made some half-useful software. Ok, he is - or was - a great stock-picker. But all these encomia remind me of that great quote in Barbarians at the Gate on why he loves tobacco as an investment: the product costs a penny to make, it sells for a dollar, there's great brand loyalty, and it's addictive. I haven't seen that quoted anywhere lately.
Doug