September 14, 2005

Microsoft Email On Employee Loss To Google & Sneaking Lee In The Back Door

Google exodus feared early on, e-mail reveals from the Seattle Times passes along two tidbits out of the recent Google-Microsoft fight for Kai-Fu Lee. Microsoft has been worried about Google gaining its employees since at least March 2004, when the leader of MSN's search team wrote an email called, "Losing people to Google -- and a potential solutions." Sorry, what was actually in that email wasn't released to the public, but high-ranking execs up to Bill Gates took part in the discussion from it. And also, to keep things quiet about Lee coming over, Google brought him into a remote building on the campus with a private entrance and no receptionist for his interview. Hmm -- I didn't know Google had many remote buildings. They've all seemed pretty close to each other to me. But getting past a receptionist is easy for any employee with a key card.

Posted by Danny Sullivan on September 14, 2005 1:38 PM