Google and Putin: A Game of Chess
October 26, 2008
Garett Rogers’ “Russia Tells Google to Try Again.” You can read his October 24, 2008, article here. The point of the story is that Google’s attempt to buy Begun, a Russian search and advertising outfit, hit a road block. The problem, according to Mr. Rogers, may be more complex that regulatory procedures. He writes:
It appears that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin isn’t too fond of Google — he has expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposed deal made by the company, and by the sound of it, that’s probably all it’s going to take to prevent the deal from happening at all.
The Google play for Begun might not be dead. After I read this story, I asked myself, “Will Mr. Putin’s alleged lack of fondness for Google cancel Mr. Brin’s ticket for a space ride?” I think of different ways to look at this news report. One angle is that Mr. Putin may be playing chess. Mr. Brin wants to buy Begun. Mr. Brin wants to ride into space. What does Mr. Putin want? Google has an operation in Moscow, maybe more since I was last in the country. My hunch is that there is more to this story than fondness. Any ideas, gentle readers?
Stephen Arnold, October 25, 2008
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