Owned by former Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer, the Intuit Dome, the new home of the LA Clippers, is making headlines for its unique approach to enriching the fan experience.
What Happened: In an interview with “60 Minutes,” Ballmer, who led Microsoft for over 13 years, expressed his dislike for long lines, particularly in stadium bathrooms.
This is why, the Intuit Dome, a $2 billion project funded by Ballmer, boasts over 1,400 toilets and urinals. The idea behind this is to reduce wait times and get fans back into the game quicker.
“I really hate it when people wait in line,” Ballmer said during the interview noting that he believes that waiting in line for the bathroom “stops people from getting back into the game.”
“I sweated more at Microsoft but I don’t worry any less at the Clippers and I don’t worry about the revenue and the day-to-day, he stated, adding, “Winning, I do worry about winning.”
The Intuit Dome also features high-tech additions such as sensors to gauge fan enthusiasm and a massive, double-sided “Halo” screen made up of over 70 LED displays.
“We have sensors around the building that can tell down to the individual seat level how loud you are. Now, we’re not listening to your conversation, but let’s say we say okay for this game, the person who produces the most decibels the most consistently will get a free hamburger the next game,” Ballmer said.
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Why It Matters: Ballmer’s wealth has been a significant factor in his ability to fund such ambitious projects.
Earlier this year in July, Ballmer’s net worth briefly surpassed that of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, with both estimated to be worth $158 billion each.
At the time of writing, Ballmer had a net worth of $146 billion, making him the eighth on the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
In 2007, Ballmer infamously mocked the iPhone, saying, "$500? Fully subsidized? With a plan? I said that is the most expensive phone in the world.”
In the same interview with 60 Minutes, Ballmer expressed regret, saying, they missed the boat on phones.
He stated that several key engineers were focused on other projects and that they approached the phone market with a mindset too similar to their Windows strategy, which ultimately didn’t work.
Ballmer also acknowledged that a shift in thinking was needed much earlier.
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Photo courtesy: Wikimedia
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