Googles $3 Billion Dollar Man

Employee number 12 at Google took a company from zero revenue to $3 billion, and has shaken the media industry to its foundations. John Battelle, fresh off his Web 2.0 conference, has Neil French kerfuffle, feels the icy grip of evolution clutching at his throat: "There are major changes and we don't understand the speed and scale at which they're taking place," the head of the world's second-largest advertising and marketing company said at a conference held by the Internet Advertising Bureau. He described a media landscape in which traditional media such as print and television are steadily losing ground to their new media rivals. "I think there's a certain amount of panic among media owners," Sorrell added. "Most of these companies, ours included I suppose, are run by 50- or 60-year-olds who have trouble getting it, and who really don't want to see change on their watch." David Utter is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business. Email him