Here's an interesting factoid: Former Apple Board member and current Google CEO, Eric Schmidt worked at Apple without pay. In fact, not only did he not accept any money (not even the $1 he works for at Google) he didn't take any Apple stock options as well. Apple typically pays its directors an annual fee of $50,000, in quarterly increments of $12,500. Not Dr. Google.
He did earn $500,000 in bonuses from Google last year - enough to pay the bills.
Although he probably had to recuse himself from 90% of the meetings there toward the end, taking no money or shares is certainly an anomaly. Apple grants outside directors the option to acquire 30,000 Apple shares for the first three years and 10,000 more year after year.
But he did take something that would probably be irresistible to you or me. He took $8,712 worth of Apple equipment. We know he uses a Blackberry but he's also been spotted with an iPhone as well. But that leaves over $8000 of kit. So what did Dr. Schmidt take home with him in the way of gear?
Eric Schmidt toting a Blackberry last month...a sign of bad things to come?
We know fellow Apple Board member, Al Gore, has a thing for 30-inch Cinema Displays. In fact, Al Gore took home $13,161 worth of equipment in total in 2008 (enough to buy the fat rig pictured below, no doubt).
(Photo from Time - energy efficient?)
Although Google's Chrome browser only recently entered Beta stages on the Mac Platform, I'm willing to bet he had a few high end Macs laying around the house. In fact, all of Apple's board members and some high ranking execs received a mystery "commemorative gift" for their service, valued at $7,580. That sounds like it could be a pretty solid Mac.
Back to Schmidt and his "free work" at Apple. Was he just doing it because he loves Apple? Or, perhaps because he hates Microsoft? Was he gathering secrets/employee names for Google's new OS? Maybe he was hoping to convince Apple to merge with Google.
In any case, that's all over now.