Schmidt Happens

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I was more than a little surprised to see this item on the front page of this morning’s newspaper:

0419-eric

If you ever listen to NPR, you’ve doubtless heard the many mentions of the “Eric and Wendy Schmidt Foundation.” Perhaps you’ve conjured up the image of a mega-rich, devoted couple who’s doing good works.

Well, you’d be right, except not so much on the “devoted” part, or at least faithful. Ya see, there isn’t a person in this valley who isn’t aware of the fact that Eric bangs whoever the hell he wants, because he’s incredibly handsome, charming, slender, and has got more money than God.

Here’s his “original” wife, whom he met in grad school and who edited his thesis for him:

0417-wendy

For the record, the photo above is from seven years ago.

The little snippet above mentions Ulla Parker, who is shown below. The fellow next to her is not Eric because, well, Ulla isn’t exactly pure-as-snow either. In fact, if you do a search on her, just about every guy is a different chap.

The point is that this “open” marriage, to use a euphemism, has been widely-reported for years. Apparently Eric and Wendy live in mansions on opposite coasts of the United States, putting 3,000 miles between them and providing lots of opportunity for whatever-the-hell Eric wants. I’m not sure why they’re even married, but I guess if you’re Wendy, $11 billion pays for a lot of dignity.

Suffice it to say, the Palo Alto Daily Post doesn’t really need to worry about a divorce or big settlement. There’s an “arrangement” in place, so don’t sweat it.