最近方舟子和李开复关于助理教授和副教授的问题吵得挺凶的。这倒让我想起了另一件关于李开复的往事。
事情要从2007年的一则题为Microsoft loses top executive in China的新闻说起。那则新闻主要说得是宫力离开微软的事情,但其中有一段颇为耐人寻味:
Gong's name came up in the case over Kai-Fu Lee, the top Microsoft executive whose hiring by Google sparked a multistate legal battle. In Microsoft legal documents, the software maker said that Lee recommended Gong be hired quickly, in part because he may have already been approached by Google.
Lee e-mailed colleagues about Gong on May 6, 2005: "There was some indirect suggestion that he may have talked to Google about starting a China operations (sic). So we should move quickly."
According to court papers, the next day Lee e-mailed Google CEO Eric Schmidt, saying he heard that Google was starting a China effort.
Google announced in July 2005 that it was hiring Lee. Microsoft immediately filed suit in Washington state court. Google later countersued in California court. Microsoft settled with Google in December 2005, without releasing terms of the pact.
如果这段是真的,那李老师的手段实在是太高了:发现宫力可能会和自己争夺未来Google中国老大的位子,就先把宫力推荐给自己当前的雇主,还不忘记加上一句“we should move quickly”。等他达到目的,假借微软之力除掉一个强有力的竞争对手之后,就一脚把微软踢开,投入Google的怀抱。
好一个借刀杀人!