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Why would Google pay employees to not go to Apple?

Because Google has infinite money, the execs just hire people so they can admire the zoo of smart people they've built. Why do they need Vint Cerf, Guido, and Rob Pike? Why are they on the MIDI board? Because there's no real reason not to.

Guido hasn't been at Google since 2013

I don't have an opinion either way on your position here, other than a fact check.

Guido van Rossum (creator of Python) is a Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft. Before that, he worked at Dropbox.

Before that, he was at Google. Failing to retain an employee doesn't invalidate that Google would rather they didn't leave.

I get the quarterly check-ins from the "alumni recruiting" team, and can assume Guido does too.

The only competition for the giants are the other giants.

Who can divert from Google's massive ad income funnel?

Apple.

Facebook.

(Also maybe several foreign governments' antitrust cases.)

An engineer on your payroll is an engineer not on the competition's payroll.

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