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Eric Schmidt's key value to Google was his witnessing 1st hand (as a Microsoft antagonist at Sun/Novell) how antitrust could paralyze a Big Tech firm. He saw by 2002 Google would become dominant & would follow MSFT's fate unless it invested heavily in DC. techmeme.com/190430/p46#a19…
He's a political animal, and his shamelessly opportunistic hustling bought Google 6 years (& counting) it didn't deserve in avoiding antitrust prosecution. After successfully ingraining himself in Obama's victorious operation, the FTC abruptly closed its case a few months later. 
Eric Schmidt was almost successful at lobbying the EU into following the FTC & closing its antitrust investigation into Google. He rubbed elbows with the antitrust czar and became his texting buddy.
(11th hour pressure from Yelp, consumer groups, & others stymied a settlement.)
(11th hour pressure from Yelp, consumer groups, & others stymied a settlement.)
A full year before Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy, Zuckerberg, Bezos, & Cook weren't leveraging their connections to send multi-page campaign memos they'd authored to HRC's inner circle.
(Why would they? Don't they have companies to run?)
Eric Schmidt was. 🤯
(Why would they? Don't they have companies to run?)
Eric Schmidt was. 🤯
I bumped into Schmidt at Clinton's election night event. (He didn't know who I was.) I did a ton of volunteering and fundraising for the campaign and got a "guest" credential.
Eric Schmidt's badge said "Staff" and had his name on it.
Eric Schmidt's badge said "Staff" and had his name on it.
36 hours after a historic election night, a hard political pivot began. While much of NYC was still hungover/shocked from Trump's victory -- Schmidt declared to a Manhattan audience, "I think we should congratulate the next President of the United States!"
