Treeful of ego

Poor Larry Ellison—the founder of Oracle, whose ego is as big as his fortune, is at loggerheads (so to speak) with his neighbors in an upscale San Francisco enclave. It’s all about trees.

That Ellison, who suffers from Bill Gates envy, would go ballistic over trees that existed on the neighbors’ property when he bought his own doesn’t really surprise me. & I guess I shouldn’t find it novel that there apparently are lawyers who specialize in “tree law”. Especially in California.

Evidently Ellison is revving up for the America’s Cup in 2013; wants to have unobstructed views for the full-bore preening he plans to do.

I know he will, too. Back when I was working for Oracle, there was a story on the intranet about a contest of some sort that had been held at company HQ in Redwood Shores, Calif. The winners (& I swear I am not making this up) “got” to go down to the bay & watch Ellison’s racing yacht sail about. From the shore.

They weren’t even allowed aboard. Or given so much as a Diet Coke by way of refreshment.

And; then they had to write about what a great experience it was.

I’m not particularly sympathetic to Ellison’s position in this dispute.His ego could use a lot more trimming than those trees.