Google and the U.S. Department of Defence signed a curious deal in 2007: the former would let the latter use the Moffett Federal Airfield and buy government jet fuel at half the normal price — for scientific and official purposes. In reality, Google’s top brass used tons of U.S. subsidised fuel to travel to all these hot playgrounds:
- Fort-de-France, Martinique, Caribbean
- San Juan, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Fa’a’ā, Tahiti, South Pacific
- Fiji, South Pacific
- Agana, Guam, Western Pacific
- Nantucket, Massachusetts
- Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Nadi, Fiji, South Pacific
- Saint Maarten, Caribbean
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, Caribbean
- Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico, East Pacific
- Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Caribbean
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Kailua/Kona, Hawaii
- Kahului, Hawaii
- Majuro, Marshall Islands, South Pacific
- Nice, France, Mediterranean
- Beef Island, British Virgin Island, Caribbean
- Arno Vale, Saint Vincent and the Granadines, Caribbean
- Scarborough, Tobago, Caribbean
- Cockburn Town, San Salvador Island, Caribbean
- Exuma, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Pacific
- Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean
- Belize, Caribbean
- Kiritimati / Christmas Island, South Pacific
- Canouan, Grenadines, Caribbean
- Nassau, Caribbean
- Olbia, Sardinia, Mediterranean
- Figari, Corsica, Mediterranean
It’s hard to imagine which kind of scientific experiments or official business Google execs had to attend to in such vacation paradises. This is perhaps why the government hasn’t renewed the agreement. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley thinks that his may be some kind of fraud and has asked the Pentagon’s inspector general to audit the deal.
Google’s execs used a variety of their private planes, including a Gulfstream V, a Boeing 757 and a Boeing 767. Reportedly, the last one was bought to Australian airline Qantas for $US15 million, and then retrofitted with a luxurious interior for $US10 million made by Gore Design Completions, of San Antonio, Texas. The new interior included rooms with king-sized beds, full bathrooms and $US600,000 worth of exotic woods. Certainly, not the best scientific platform for conduct experiments.