Well, what's more important -- a generous severance package or avoiding being disgraced by a sketchy expense-account scandal involving a sub-contractor that happens to be a reality-show actress? That's the moral balance former HP boss Mark Hurd is contemplating this morning.
Hurd resigned on Friday after the Hewlett-Packard board had decided he had broken company policies by falsifying expenses and conducting a personal relationship with a contractor named Jodie Fisher, a former "actress" (yes she has been in porn) and a reality TV contestant. Meanwhile, Hurd's severance package could reach $40 million, reports CNBC.
Pretty weird. Pretty creepy, and I imagine it will only get more so. Here's some other goings-on in the news:
- Skype files to raise $100 million in an IPO (Bloomberg). The phone calls might be free, but the investment bankers won't be, I'm sure.
- Naomi Campbell took blood diamonds from a brutal dictator. She also flirted with him. Mia Farrow is testifying against her, saying she lied about it (ABCNews). I just find this story fascinating. Maybe Mark Hurd is involved as well?
- Yet another Black Swan event: Tiger Woods now sucks at golf (WSJ). He might not even make the Ryder Cup.
- Apple's executive in charge of the iPhone has left the company after only one year (PCWorld). Yeah, but how weird is it that his name is "Mark Papermaster"? Is he related to Chris Moneymaker?
- Is Net Neutrality Socialism? (PCWorld). Some broadband apps are more equal than others.
- A giant ice-sheet is breaking off a Greeland glacier (BBC). I don't know if y'all saw "Day After Tomorrow," but I think that means it's about to get really cold, before it gets really hot. Or something. As long as it doesn't involve Randy Quaid playing a scientist again, I'm cool with that.
- Needham says AAPL will go to $375 (Macnn). But can they do it with out Mark Papermaster?
- Why do people hoard (Time). I'm glad we have those serious journalists over at Time to answer these important questions for us.
