On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 4:30 PM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.comwrote:
2009/8/27 Anthony wikimail@inbox.org:
I agree that companies often misuse the term "partner" for people who
aren't
actually "partners" (although I can't think of an example, can you?).
Big banks often do it. I remember reading a news article about Goldman Sachs announcing its new batch of partners. They were all high ranking employees and, as far as know, remained so, just with a new title.
Goldman Sachs was a partnership until 1999, so that's probably why they do it. A lot of law firms, even ones which have incorporated, do it for the same historical reasons. I don't know how many banks were historically partnerships, though.
It is relevant because if Halprin is a partner with Omidyar Network, LLC,
and doesn't receive any guaranteed payments, then he isn't being paid by Omidyar Network, LLC to do any particular job.
He isn't sitting on the WMF board on behalf of Omidyar either way, so what different does it make?
After rechecking my assumptions, I guess it doesn't make any difference.