Gawker: Perks

Googler Quits During Televised Speech

Ryan Tate — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:37:06 EDT

Google wants to get into the LOLcat business, but Steve Yegge is damned if he's going to help; the engineer told a tech conference that "I am officially quitting that job on national TV." Also in today's Valleywag roundup: Google is showering programmers with 50 percent raises and trips to Paris; Karl Rove advertised in his favorite gay sex app; and a tech writer is minting money off a single review. More »

Google Is 'Very Frugal,' Says Obscenely Overpaid Googler

Ryan Tate — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:11:17 EDT

Never mind the free gourmet food orgies, company-sponsored servants, on-site massages, cash handouts, multi-million-dollar retention bonuses, posh commute coaches — Google is actually "very frugal," according to the guy who obtained a $10 million, four-year pay package from Google. More »

Ridiculous Tech Company Perks Are Back in Style

Adrian Chen — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:47:00 EDT

It's that time of the tech boom-bust cycle. Perk time! Chocolate fountains? Check. Indoor tree houses? Check. If your office doesn't have a mechanical bull and a ball pit, you're just not going to attract the talent you need. More »

Chris Christie's Helicopter Descends On Kid's Baseball Game

Jim Newell — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:35:01 EDT

The good Governor Sandwiches of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is in a real pickle back home after he took an state police helicopter to his son's baseball game yesterday. More »

The Three Luckiest Guys in Tech Had an Awesome Week

Ryan Tate — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:20:51 EDT

Meet Greg Coleman, Sundar Pichai and Neal Mohan. They are having an awesome week. A week that involves, collectively, roughly $150 million dollars in bonuses; monster severance for short-lived jobs; and orders to report to a new boss in Paris. More »

Barry Diller's Secret Opulence

Ryan Tate — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:31:29 EST

Managers at IAC aren't feeling very thankful toward their happy-go-lucky leader right now: They found out just this week there will be no raises or bonuses for the third year in a row. So now they're dishing about his perks. More »

Google's $6 Million Feminist Bonus to Lady Engineer

Ryan Tate — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:04:04 EST

National unemployment remains stuck at nearly 10 percent and economic growth is tepid. But there are still golden tickets for workers if they're inside the tech bubble, especially if they're Google engineers courted by Facebook. And especially if they're women. More »

Google Is Assembling a City

Ryan Tate — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:05:49 EST

The Google elite may be cosseted at work, but employees have to endure the real world upon returning home each night. No more: Googletown, a forthcoming mini-metropolis, will include not just offices but sports facilities, child care—and housing. More »

Google Offers Employee $3.5 Million Not to Join Facebook

Adrian Chen — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:32:27 EST

The Facebook-Google showdown isn't limited to your personal data. Facebook has been poaching talent from Google, and Google is fighting back with big bonuses for sticking around. One senior engineer was offered $3.5 million in stock not to jump ship. More »

Christmas Comes Early for Employees of Google

Business Insider — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:22:57 EST

Google has given all of its employees $1,000 cash "holiday bonuses" and 2011 salary increases of at least 10%, a loyal reader tells us. More »

Did Google Fire Its Servants?

Ryan Tate — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:02:46 EDT

Good luck retaining employees now: We hear Google has ended a perk that provided free "runners" to handle basic chores like cooking, cleaning and errands. More »

Google Is Now Providing Servants to Its Employees

Ryan Tate — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:20:56 EDT

So much for the war on Googler entitlement. Amid heated competition for engineers, Google is trying a remarkable new perk: free use of "runners" to clean apartments, take out trash, cook dinner, run errands—whatever is needed. More »

Let's Not Forget about David Paterson's Other Sketchy Aide

John Cook — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:48:43 EST

The New York Times' David Paterson story centered on his drug-dealing, allegedly abusive staffer David Johnson. But Paterson also employs Clemmie Harris, an adviser who collects $30,000 a year on disability and doesn't appear to live in New York. More »

Life after Condé Nast: Former Domino Editor No Longer Living Under Uncle Si's Roof

John Cook — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:34:41 EST

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When Condé Nast folds a magazine, it doesn't just clear out the desks. There's also the messy business of disentangling the top editors from all the perks that came with being in S.I. Newhouse's good graces. Ask Domino's Deborah Needleman. More »

No Bonus? No Problem! Goldman Sachs Offers Mortgages to Cash-Strapped Bankers

John Cook — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:49:09 EST

Wall Street is cutting back on cash bonuses, which means paper-rich banksters are forced to choose between preschool tuition and new wine cellars until their restricted shares mature. Goldman Sachs is lending a hand by offering mortgages to its staff. More »

Facebook Basically Rubbing Google's Face In Their Delicious Free Meals

Adrian Chen — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:04:45 EST

A string of cutbacks have threatened Google's status as a veritable Shangri-la of free gourmet food. Meanwhile, Facebook is ramping up the dining perks. Today the Times suggests Facebook might be "the new standard-bearer for corporate-sponsored dining." Food fight! More »

Do Not Look to CAA for Validation

Richard Rushfield — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:37:37 EST

If there's anything Hollywood hates, it's paying for stuff it used to get for free. And throughout 2009, CAA has given the industry the biggest FU in entertainment history, charging visitors for parking, all to save just $800,000. More »

Google Honchos: Our Employees Should Be Grateful They're Not Starving in Gutter

Ryan Tate — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:54:11 EDT

Google used to say its lavish perks bolstered productivity and, if anything, would only grow more posh. But a recession changes things. Now the official line is more like, just be happy you're working, you ungrateful fucking pigs. More »

The Upside of Swine Flu

cityfile — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:41:00 EDT

You didn't think there was anything good that could possibly come from the spread of swine flu, did you? You were wrong! If you happen to work in one of the dozen or so office buildings owned by Trinity Real Estate, you're going to be getting free hand sanitizer starting next week. Exciting! Are you one of the lucky ones? If you work in one of these buildings, cross off Purell off your shopping list, stat. [City Room] More »

At Conde Nast, Every Perk Must Go

Hamilton Nolan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:34:11 EDT

Twenty-five percent! One fourth of the whole pie! This scary number's being kicked around everywhere as the worst(?) case scenario for the looming Conde Nast budget cuts. Every perk is being trimmed—even the ones for little old ladies. More »

Graydon Carter's Monthly Mortgage Payment Is Probably Less Than Your Rent

John Cook — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:22:04 EDT

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter has an interest-free $5.3 million mortgage on his four-story greek revival townhouse in Greenwich Village, courtesy of his sweetheart deal with Condé Nast. What's he pay? Oh, $2,083 a month. More »

Jeering Googlers Bring Entitled Coworkers In Line

Ryan Tate — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:06:16 EDT

Google is reportedly flooded with Yahoo résumés. We'd recommend an overtly modest approach to anyone who scores an interview: Google has lately been brutal in handling presumptuous, entitled transplants. More »

Why Is Yahoo Laying People Off? The Answer Is on an Engineer's Desk

Owen Thomas — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:32:47 EDT

After thousands of layoffs last year, Yahoo's gearing up to cut more staff. Here's an idea: Why not trim outrageous spending first? One Yahoo engineer has helpfully, if unwittingly, shown where to start. More »

Dick Parsons's Office Is Nicer Than Your Office

cityfile — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:24:00 EDT

Dick Parsons stepped down as Time Warner's chairman at the end of 2008, and handed over the reigns as the company's CEO to Jeff Bewkes a year before that. That isn't stopping Time Warner from sprucing up his office, though! The company disclosed it plans to spend $776,000 this year to make heading into the office every couple of months a more pleasant experience for Parsons, and the company will also pay to provide him with a secretary. Considering Parsons is now the chairman of Citigroup, presumably he'll also be getting a fancy new office at 399 Park Avenue just as soon as Citi CEO Vikram Pandit is finished with his $10 million renovation of the second-floor "executive suite." And yet despite two new spaces, he still won't have access to a Zen garden! (At least not one that Citigroup or Time Warner will be paying for.) But he can always make one himself if really wants to. More »

Boss Martha Fears the Spread of Googley Perks

Owen Thomas — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:30:56 EDT

Three New York City Googlers went on Martha Stewart to show off a scallops recipe today. How fun! But Martha was far more interested in their employer's lavish perks. More »

Martha's Fortress Must Be Defended

cityfile — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:31:00 EDT

Don't even think about turning up at Martha Stewart's house without an invitation, or cutting the power lines to her house in an attempt to force her out into the open. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Martha Stewart Omnimedia disclosed that it considers a home security system for Martha's estate as a business expense, and also pays for a "backup power system." Now you know! [WWD] More »

Who's Saying 'Fly Me' to Eric Schmidt?

Owen Thomas — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:13:34 EDT

How does Eric Schmidt do it? The computer nerd runs Google, has Obama's ear, parks his jet fleet in a NASA hangar, and has a rocking girlfriend. Is she the reason he flies so much? More »

JPMorgan Flies On

cityfile — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:12:00 EDT

The Post reported today that JPMorgan Chase, which collected $25 billion in bailout money last fall, has placed orders for two new Gulfstream 650 jets. The total cost? About $119 million. But ABC News reports that in addition to the cost of the planes, the bank is paying another $18 million to build "the premiere corporate aircraft hangar on the eastern seaboard," a structure that will feature "reclaimed wood, quarry tile and a vegetated roof garden." What, no zen garden? [NYP, ABC, photo] More »

Google Serving Up Hubris at Shuttered Café

Owen Thomas — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:39:34 EST

Since Valleywag broke the news that Google was closing two of its free cafés this week, they've been busier than ever as hyperentitled Googlers race to get one last taste. And complain about the lines. More »

Google Buys American for Friday Beer Bash

Owen Thomas — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

International trade is what powers the modern, global economy! But Google's bean-counters have taken a horrid protectionist turn by insisting on domestic beer for the search engine's Friday "TGIF" events. More »

Fear and Loathing on the Google Shuttle

Owen Thomas — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:24:51 EST

Googlers, used to being coddled by the luxuries of the Googleplex, now worry they'll have to pay to ride the company shuttle bus. It's the latest sign of the giant search engine's nervous breakdown. More »

Cisco, the Best Lousy Place to Work

Owen Thomas — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:58:48 EST

How did Fortune decide Cisco was near the top of its "Best Places to Work" list? An unhappy tipster at the networking-equipment maker leaked this report from a company meeting happening now: More »

Tom Daschle, Driven Out of Town

Owen Thomas — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:05:55 EST

Tom Daschle has dropped his bid to become Secretary of Health and Human Services after not paying taxes for a car and driver. He must be flashing back to his campaign ad from 1986. More »

John Thain: What a Difference a Year Makes!

cityfile — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:32:00 EST

Top Yahoo Exec Asks Company for a Loan

Owen Thomas — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:57:36 EST

It's hard to think of a worse time to get into the home-loan business. But, according to upset finance staffers, Yahoo backed a senior executive's mortgage to move into a neighborhood of $3 million houses. More »

Google Launches "School of Spiritual Growth"

Owen Thomas — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:15:43 EST

How soul-draining it must be to work at the world's best company! Hence the introduction of Google's School of Spiritual Growth, an arm of the search engine's in-house university. More »

Yahoo Retreats from Hollywood

Owen Thomas — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:12:29 EST

Two years after he left, the ghost of TV executive Lloyd Braun still haunts Yahoo. Which is why a report of lost perks in Yahoo's L.A. office turned into an evisceration of the ex-exec. More »

Jason Calacanis makes Disneyland the saddest place on earth

Owen Thomas — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

After laying off most of his staff, how is Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis watching his pennies? By spending some of the Web directory's $21 million in funding to take nine remaining employees to Disneyland. More »

Facebook employee unloads company gear on eBay

Owen Thomas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Times are tough at what was Silicon Valley's hottest startup last year. So tough that one Facebooker is auctioning off a company-issued Jack Spade laptop bag. More »

Filet mignon on menu at Google's NYC holiday party

Owen Thomas — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:20:00 EST

Google is throwing not one, not two, but three holiday parties for its New York employees this year. Such is the cash-flush search engine's definition of austerity. More »