Local Maritz Top Candidate to Replace Ballmer as Microsoft CEO

Paul Maritz of Mercer Island is a top candidate to replace Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft. He was with Microsoft from 1986 to 2000. His last position was executive vice president of the Platforms Strategy and Developer Group. He was part of the 5-person executive management team and, according to Wikipedia, was the third-ranking executive behind Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. He was responsible for most of Microsoft's desktop and server software, including Windows and Internet Explorer.

From Brier Dudley’s 9/24/13 column in The Seattle Times:

“Fortunately for Microsoft and the future health of the Puget Sound economy there are two strong contenders to replace outgoing Chief Executive Steve Ballmer — one at hand and the other nearby.

. . .

“The obvious nearby candidate is Paul Maritz, a Zimbabwe native who led Microsoft’s platforms business and developer relations when he left the company in 2000 after a 14-year run.

“Maritz went on to lead strategy at business computing giant EMC and serve as chief executive of Palo Alto, Calif.-based virtualization pioneer VMware, but all the while kept his home on Mercer Island.”

Maritz’s local mansion is on the southwest point of Mercer Island near Paul Allen’s campus/compound. A previous post with more information about Maritz and his career and accomplishments was on 2/22/12.

Steve Ballmer’s local mansion is on the east side of Hunt Point adjacent to and south of the McCaw’s, formerly Kenny G’s, compound. Previous posts about Ballmer were on 5/23/12 (Forbes article about worst CEO) and 11/17/10 (Ballmer mansion).

Ellison (Value Village) from Stroum-Glazer

Sold 2012 $21.6 Million “Harmony” - Under Renovation

This landmark compound, “Harmony,” sold in 2012 for $21.6 million. This was the most expensive LW Map of the Stars® waterfront sale in 2012. It was listed at $26.9 million by Tere and David Foster, Windermere. From the listing: “Resting gently on 2.93 acres, Harmony commands an extraordinary 324 feet of Lake Washington waterfront and sets its vista on the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier . . . Waves roll gently up on the beach as the sun shines down on two private docks. . . [nearly 20,000 square feet in 4 buildings]. . living wing plays host to the grotto, saline pool and exercise areas. Upstairs two guest suites each with their own bath and walk-in closets . . . private outdoor spa . . . A world like no other.” The listing was featured in a 3/20/11 Seattle Mansions Blog. The seller was Marsha Stroum Sloan Glazer. The buyer was Thomas Ellison, the principal owner of the Value-Village/Savers chain of stores.

This is considered, second to Paul Allen’s campus, the premier property on Mercer Island. The flat (“low bank" in Realtor terms) large combined parcel faces west on the “50 yard line” for Seafair. It is less than one mile from the I-90 West Mercer exit/entrance which puts the residents five minutes from downtown Seattle.

Permits were issued in February to demolish three homes (total 8,260 sq ft) on the compound. The main 11,300 sq ft mansion will remain. Plans for the replacement buildings have not been submitted.

Marsha and her family are respected Seattle area philanthropists. The Stroum name is on many prominent arts, medical, education and community buildings and halls in the Seattle area. Benaroya Hall, University of Washington, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and the Stroum Jewish Community Center of Greater Seattle on Mercer Island are most notable. Marsha hosted many charity galas in her (this) former MI estate.
Ellison’s father, Bill Ellison, was the founder of Bellevue-based Savers, Inc. The company is an international chain of thrift stores and operates under the name of Value Village in the PNW. Thomas Ellison’s sister, Debbie, and her husband, John E. Bacon, purchased the legendary Groat Point mansion from Bruce McCaw in 2011 and demolished all the buildings including the 14,000 sq ft main mansion (2/21/13 Seattle Mansions Blog). Thomas Ellison and the Bacons own a mansion about a seventh of a mile to the northeast of Groat Point in Meydenbauer Bay that is for sale for $8.9 million (5/20/11 LW Cruising Blog).

Medina – Groat Point Demolition

 Looking West at Groat Point in 2010

The Groat Point Estate in 2011

The Groat Point Estate in late 2012

Bruce McCaw sold, for $15.3 million, his Medina Groat Point estate in January 2011 (Seattle Mansions 2/13/11 post) to a trustee for John E. and Debbie Ellison Bacon. This was the highest priced sale of Lake Washington waterfront property in 2011. The Bacon’s demolished the buildings in 2012 and are scheduled to submit plans for new buildings later this year.

The property was listed for sale in 2009 for $34 million and dropped to $27 million in 2010. The listing agent was Terre Foster, Windermere: “The Grand Point of Medina. A landmark offered for the first time this century. Commanding 527 feet of some of the most coveted waterfront in the world, the Chateau takes its place among the great estates in the Northwest. Regal grounds split into expansive views.” The estate had 13,940 sq ft on 1.89 acres with 527 feet of waterfront, 6 bedrooms and 9 baths.

This is considered one of Lake Washington’s premiere lots with spectacular 300° views that include downtown Bellevue, Mt. Rainier and the Olympics with the top of the Seattle skyline in the foreground. The location is minutes from downtown Bellevue.

Bruce is the oldest of four brothers who were the pioneers of cellular communications. He had been listed by Forbes as one of the wealthiest people in the world but has not been on its recent lists as a result of declining stock market values. He is now involved in large scale commercial real estate investments with his Pistol Creek Financial Co. He is also involved in auto racing as president of Bellevue-based PacWest Racing Group LLC and director of Michigan-based Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. Bruce and his wife, Jolene, moved into Craig McCaw’s Hunts Point Castle and hosted a fund raiser for Paul Ryan in 2012 (2/13/13 post).

John E. and Debbie Ellison Bacon established the multimillion dollar Bacon Family Foundation that supports local children and family organizations. John, Thomas Ellison and Ellison’s and Debbie’s father, Bill Ellison (the founder of the company), were the principal owners of Bellevue-based Savers, Inc. The company is an international chain of thrift stores and operates under the name of Value Village in the PNW. In 2000 Bill Ellison and Bacon sold their interest to Boston based Berkshire Partners LLC for $45 million. The Bacons and Thomas Ellison own a mansion about a seventh of a mile to the northeast in Meydenbauer Bay that is for sale for $8.9 million (post in LW Cruising).

More information about the prior mansion and Bruce McCaw is in Lake Washington 130 Homes on pages 88 and 106.

Paul Ryan at McCaw Family’s Hunts Point Compound

Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan attended fund raisers in Hunts Point and Medina on September 10, 2012. The $1,000 per person afternoon reception was at the McCaw family’s compound and hosted by Bruce and Jolene McCaw. The Seattle Times reported the two-hour event was attended by more than 200 people. Ryan gave a speech on economic issues and higher paying guests received photos of themselves with Ryan.

The McCaw family purchased the compound in 1999 from Kenny G (4/30/12 post below) in a private transaction estimated at more than $20 million. The two mansions have 15,810 sq ft on 4.3 acres with 327 feet of waterfront, 8 bedrooms and 10.5 baths. Craig and Susan McCaw and their family were (and maybe still are) living here.

Craig was the leader or the world famous McCaw brothers, Bruce (1946- ), Craig (1949- ), John (1951- ) and Keith (1953-2002). Keith and John formerly lived in Madison Park and Bruce sold his Medina Groat Point estate in 2011 (2/13/11 post) and may have moved here. The brothers were the pioneers of the cellular phone industry and sold their company, McCaw Cellular, for $11.5 billion in 1994.

The evening $25,000 per couple event was at undisclosed location in Medina. An earlier in the year event for Mitt Romney (12/29/12 post) was held at the mansion of Peter Neupert, a former Drugstore.com and Microsoft executive. He hosted a similar event in the 1990s for President George W. Bush. Neupert’s mansion is on Evergreen Point Road south of Bill Gates’ campus but not on the water. The mansion is 8,000 sq ft on 5.4 acres which is one of the largest lots in Medina.

Mitt Romney at Wayne Perry’s Medina Mansion

Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney attended fund raisers in Medina on June 4, 2012. The evening $25,000 per person event was at the waterfront mansion of Wayne and Christine Perry. More information, including a video, is in KING-5 news.

Wayne is National President of the Boy Scouts of America and former President of McCaw Cellular and a co-founder of the Seattle-based Monroe & Perry law firm which evolved into the prominent Stokes Lawrence firm. He was a Cub Scout as a young boy and has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America ever since. Previous Boy Scouts positions include president of the Chief Seattle Council and president of the Western Region. He was named International Commissioner in 2006 and National President in 2012. He also has an ownership interest in the Seattle Mariners. The mansion is 9,450 sq ft on 0.7 acres with 92 feet of waterfront.

An earlier in the day event was held at the mansion of Peter Neupert, a former Drugstore.com and Microsoft executive. He hosted a similar event in the 1990s for President George W. Bush. Neupert’s mansion is north of Perry’s and on Evergreen Point Road but not on the water. The mansion is 8,000 sq ft on 5.4 acres which is one of the largest lots in Medina. Both mansions are south of Bill Gates’ campus.

President Obama at Blumes’ Seattle Mansion

President Obama returned to the Seattle area last Thursday for a lavish fundraiser at a prominent waterfront mansion. The event was covered in a Seattle Times 5/10/12 article. The $35,800 per plate lunch was at the mansion of Bruce and Anne Blume in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood of Seattle on Lake Washington waterfront. The article reported the Blumes are major Democratic donors, who have given more than $118,000 to federal Democratic candidates and committees since 2008, including $50,000 they gave to help finance Obama's inauguration party. President and Michelle Obama have attended previous lavish Lake Washington waterfront mansion fundraisers at the homes of Costco Co-Founder Jeff Brotman (12/18/12, 2/9/12, 10/24/10 posts), former Microsoft President Jon Shirley (10/5/11 post), and RealNetworks Founder Rob Glaser (9/27/10 post).

This $20 million mansion was built over a period of three plus years for the Blumes by Charter Construction. The mansion is on page 37 in Lake Washington 130 Homes. The neighborhood includes numerous prominent mansions including two that formerly belonged to two of the famous McCaw brothers. Neighborhood information is in LW Cruising 4/19/12 and 4/24/12 posts.

The Blumes’ former residence in Broadmoor is listed for sale for $3 million. Bruce is a prominent commercial real estate developer. His firm, The Blume Co., is a major developer in the South Lake Union and University of Washington districts. He founded the company in 1982. The company owns 16 buildings on 10 acres in 6 centers. The centers are Yale Campus, 1100 Eastlake, Eastlake Center, University Center, 45th Street Place and Northlake Place.

The mansion is 13,300 sq ft on 1.0 acres with 160 feet of waterfront. This is the former site of the Canadian Consulate. Blume acquired the property from Canada 1/18/05 for $7.8 million and, in 2006, demolished the consulate and started construction on the current mansion. The seller is listed as “Her Majesty Elizabeth II – Queen of Canada.” This is the way Canada lists its foreign properties but the Queen was never here. Some tours incorrectly tell their groups this was the site of the Seattle vacation home for the Queen. The Canadian Consulate is now located in downtown Seattle in the 30 story Century Square building at the corner of Pike and 4^th Ave.

Obama – Murray Fundraiser at Glaser Mansion

The major Seattle fund raiser for President Obama and U.S. Senator Patty Murray on August 17, 2010, was at the new 7,300 sq ft mansion of Rob and Cori Glaser. 60 prominent Democratic donors attended the $10,000 per late luncheon. Rob, a former Microsoft mega-millionaire, started RealNetworks in 1995. He recently retired from his CEO position at the company.

RealNetworks produces music, video and other software for PCs, smart phones, and portable music players. Some of its best known products are RealPlayer and RealRhapsody.

Rob and his wife, Cori, are major Democratic contributors and fund raisers. They were strong financial supporters of Obama’s 2004 U.S Senate campaign.

Glaser owns two similar looking side-by-side mansions in the Madison-Park/Denny-Blaine/Madrona area. The 5,240 sq ft mansion on the left/south was built in 1980 and had a major renovation completed in 2008 when the new 7,300 sq ft mansion on the right/north was completed. This compound was not included in Lake Washington 130 Homes. It is between the McCaw and Rose Mediterranean villas on pages 38 and 40 in the book.

Map of the Stars Cruises

Anchor Bay Charters and I had multiple “Map of the Stars” cruises and parties this summer. The 3 hour “Map of the Stars” cruises included Lake Union sights (Sleepless in Seattle floating home, Chihuly’s Studio, views of Space Needle and downtown, etc.) and Lake Washington with the premiere waterfront mansions (Gates, McCaws, Schultz, et al.) of Madison Park, The Eastside’s Gold Coast (Meydenbauer Bay, Medina and Hunts Point) and the North end of Mercer Island. These tours include the homes of eighty percent of the state’s billionaires. The 4 hour cruises added most of Mercer Island and included all the state’s billionaires with Paul Allen’s 10 acre estate. I narrated most the tours and provided information as we view most of the homes in the book. The cruises were popular with Realtors and their clients as I also pointed out homes listed for sale for more than $5million.

The yacht has a wonderful upper level sundeck and a stately heated interior party and dining room with large picture windows. More information is at: http://www.anchorbaycharters.com/ and www.hundredhomes.net/Lake-Washington-Cruises

Cruises can be viewed on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=RpPLK0KrzxY&feature=channel