When President Barack Obama dined with a dozen technology business leaders in California four years ago, it was Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt who sat at the head of the table. Obama sat on one side, between the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Facebook pioneer Mark Zuckerberg, but the place of honor was no accident. Google executives and employees donated more than $1.6 million to Obama's two White House campaigns, and the online search giant parachuted top talent into both. One result has been a coziness with the U.S. government's executive branch that few other companies can match – marked by access for lobbyists, mentions in nearly half of Obama's State of the Union addresses, and a personnel feeder trough serving the White House with new senior hires.Google employees donated $1.6 million to President Barack Obama's two White House bidsThe company told Daily Mail Online that it has spoken with the Federal Trade Commission about antitrust concerns; it was investigated in 2011 but later let off the hookIn the 2012 election, the company’s search algorithm customized results for Obama but not for Republican Mitt RomneyGoogle execs who have left to work in the White House include Obama's chief technology officerHillary Clinton also poached her new tech chief from Google this week
His ascent in _'s world began in 2007 when the future president visited Google's California headquarters for a one-on-one interview, staged for the benefit of the company's employees, then 16,000 strong. His ascent in Obama's world began in 2007 when the future president visited Google's _ headquarters for a one-on-one interview, staged for the benefit of the company's employees, then 16,000 strong. The exposure was vital: _ ended up lapping the field in fundraising in the high-tech sector.