♪ DAVID RUBENSTEIN: YOU STARTED THE COMPANY IN 1999.

MARC BENIOFF: YES.

DAVID: IF YOU HAD BOUGHT THE STOCK IN THE BEGINNING, YOU'D BE UP ABOUT 7,000%.

MARC: 3,500%, BUT WHO'S COUNTING?

DAVID: NOW THAT YOU OWN "TIME" MAGAZINE, DO YOU GET TO PICK WHO IS THE PERSON OF THE YEAR?

MARC: DAVID, YOU'RE VERY--LOOK, I REALIZE YOU ARE A GOOD CANDIDATE.

I GET IT.

I'M NOT INVOLVED IN EDITORIAL.

DAVID: WOULD YOU CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE?

MARC: I THINK THAT BUSINESS IS THE GREATEST PLATFORM FOR CHANGE.

WE CAN DO IT!

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

WOMAN: WOULD YOU FIX YOUR TIE, PLEASE?

DAVID: WELL, PEOPLE WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE ME IF MY TIE WAS FIXED, BUT OK. JUST LEAVE IT THIS WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

♪ DAVID: I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A JOURNALIST.

AND NOBODY ELSE WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF A JOURNALIST.

I BEGAN TO TAKE ON THE LIFE OF BEING AN INTERVIEWER EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A DAY JOB OF RUNNING A PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE LEADERSHIP?

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES SOMEBODY TICK?

DAVID: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SALESFORCE.COM FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH IT.

THERE MAY BE A FEW.

YOU STARTED THE COMPANY IN 1999.

MARC: YES.

DAVID: AND TODAY IT HAS A MARKET VALUE OF ABOUT $130 BILLION.

MARC: YES.

DAVID: IF YOU HAD BOUGHT THE STOCK AT THE BEGINNING, YOU'D BE UP ABOUT 7,000%.

MARC: 3,500%, BUT WHO'S COUNTING?

BUT YOU'RE MORE ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAN I AM.

YOU'RE A MUCH BETTER INVESTOR.

DAVID: WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT OK.

SO IT DID PRETTY GOOD.

MARC: YEAH, 3,500.

YEAH.

WE HAVE HAD A VERY GOOD SHAREHOLDER RETURN, BUT THE THING IS, WE'VE ALSO HAD WHAT WE CALL A VERY GOOD STAKEHOLDER RETURN.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO GIVE AWAY $300 MILLION.

WE'VE DONE 4 MILLION HOURS OF VOLUNTEERISM.

DAVID: FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT SALESFORCE.COM'S MAIN BUSINESS IS, WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY DO?

MARC: WELL, SALESFORCE IS A BUSINESS SOFTWARE COMPANY.

IF YOU GO TO ADIDAS.COM AND YOU BUY SOME ADIDAS SHOES, YOU KNOW, SOME YEEZYS FROM, YOU KNOW, KANYE WEST, AND YOU LIKE THE SHOE AND THEN YOU GET AN EMAIL FROM ADIDAS...

BUT THE SHOE COMES AND THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT AND YOU HAVE TO CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SEND IT BACK, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS-- THE SALES, THE SERVICE, THE MARKETING, THE EMAIL, THE COMMERCE IS ALL 100% SALESFORCE ON ADIDAS.

DAVID: AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOUR COMPANY REALLY DID TWO THINGS IN TERMS OF ITS PREMISE.

MARC: OH, OK. GOOD.

WHAT WAS IT?

DAVID: ONE WAS WHAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED, CRM--CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT.

AND YOUR POINT WAS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN BUSINESS IS TO MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE OK. IS THAT RIGHT?

MARC: I THINK THAT'S GENERALLY A GOOD IDEA, YES.

[AUDIENCE LAUGHING] DAVID: OK. AND SECOND WAS, YOUR NOVELTY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WAS THAT YOU SAID "LET'S DO THIS THROUGH THE CLOUD."

AND WHEN YOU STARTED THE COMPANY IN 1999, PEOPLE THOUGHT CLOUDS WERE WHITE THINGS IN THE SKY.

AND YOU KIND OF TOLD PEOPLE THERE'S MORE TO THAT.

IS THAT RIGHT?

MARC: WELL, YOU'RE 100% RIGHT.

THERE'S REALLY THREE THINGS WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO WHEN WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS.

NUMBER ONE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS CLOUD; TWO--WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO SUBSCRIBE, NOT BUY A LICENSE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.

AND THAT BECAME A RECURRING REVENUE STREAM, AND THAT WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS MODEL FOR SOFTWARE; AND 3--WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT 1% OF OUR EQUITY, 1% OF OUR PROFIT, AND 1% OF ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES' TIME INTO THIS 501(c)(3) CHARITY.

IT WAS VERY EASY BECAUSE WE HAD NO EQUITY, WE HAD NO PROFIT, WE HAD NO TIME.

WE HAD NOBODY.

BUT IT TURNED IN, NOW WE HAVE 45,000 EMPLOYEES, $130 BILLION MARKET CAP.

SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THAT STAKEHOLDER IMPACT.

DAVID: THE PREMISE WAS THAT YOU WANTED TO BUILD A COMPANY THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE THAT EMPLOYEES FELT THEY WERE HAVING A CULTURE THAT THEY WOULD BE PROUD OF.

IS THAT ESSENTIALLY RIGHT?

MARC: YOU KNOW, I WAS WORKING AT ANOTHER SOFTWARE COMPANY FOR A DECADE-- DAVID: THIS IS ORACLE?

MARC: ORACLE FROM--STARTING IN 1986.

AND IN 1996, I WALKED INTO MY BOSS' OFFICE, LARRY ELLISON.

EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO HE IS.

HE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS MENTOR TO ME.

AND I SAID TO HIM, "I REALLY DON'T FEEL GOOD.

"I AM HAVING TROUBLE GETTING UP IN THE MORNING.

"I JUST AM NOT ENJOYING MY JOB.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON."

AND HE GOES, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO?

YOU NEED TO TAKE A SABBATICAL."

SO I DID.

I WENT TO HAWAII, AND THEN I CAME BACK, AND HE'S LIKE, "YOU STILL DON'T SEEM EXACTLY RIGHT."

THIS WAS AFTER 90 DAYS.

"TAKE ANOTHER THREE MONTHS OFF."

SO I SAID, "FINE."

SO I WENT TO INDIA.

[LAUGHTER] DAVID: RIGHT.

MARC: I WAS TOURING INDIA WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAD JUST QUIT WORKING FOR GEORGE SOROS AND WAS GOING TO START HIS OWN VENTURE CAPITAL COMPANY CALLED TELESOFT PARTNERS.

HIS NAME IS ARJUN GUPTA.

AND WE'RE IN THE KERALA REGION-- DAVID: RIGHT.

MARC: IN THE BACKWATERS OF THE ARABIAN SEA.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE'RE INVITED INTO THIS ASHRAM, WHICH, IS LIKE THIS--YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A SYNAGOGUE ANYWAY.

DAVID: RIGHT, RIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] MARC: TO HELP BRING YOU ALONG... DAVID: I GOT IT.

MARC: IN THE STORY, HELPING YOU COME ALONG WITH ME.

BUT ANYWAY-- DAVID: THAT'S WHERE THEY LOST THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

MARC: I KNOW.

I KNOW.

I'M HELPING YOU.

OK. AND SO WE'RE IN THE ASHRAM.

NOW, IN THIS PART OF INDIA, ALL THE GURUS ARE WOMEN.

AND THIS WOMAN IS NOW LECTURING US ON SPIRITUALITY AND SO FORTH.

AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, ARJUN TAKES OUT HIS BUSINESS PLAN.

HE GOES, "OH, WELL, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AT TELESOFT PARTNERS."

AND HE STARTS GIVING HER--AND SHE'S, LIKE, REALLY INTERESTED.

"WIRELESS IS COMING, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT THE WORLD, AND MOBILE DEVICES ARE COMING."

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THERE, THIS IS 1996.

SO THEN SHE IS LISTENING REALLY CLEARLY, AND I'M LIKE, "I THINK SHE IS GOING TO INVEST."

OK?

[LAUGHTER] AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, SHE SAYS THIS REALLY POWERFUL THING, WHICH IS, SHE IS SAYING IT TO HIM, BUT SHE'S LOOKING RIGHT AT ME IN MY EYES.

AND SHE GOES, "IN YOUR QUEST TO CHANGE THE WORLD, DON'T FORGET TO DO SOMETHING FOR OTHER PEOPLE."

AND THAT WAS A MOMENT IN TIME WHEN I SAID, "WOW.

WHEN I "START A COMPANY, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT PHILANTHROPY "AND GIVING AND GENEROSITY AND THESE VALUES ARE IN THE CULTURE OF THE COMPANY FROM DAY ONE."

AND THEN WHEN I STARTED THE COMPANY, WHICH WAS MARCH 8, 1999, I RENTED THE APARTMENT NEXT DOOR TO ME IN SAN FRANCISCO, HIRED A FEW PEOPLE, MOVED IN, AND I SAID TO ALL OF THEM AT THAT MOMENT, WE'RE GOING TO DO THESE THREE THINGS.

AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MADE A BUSINESS THAT WE FELT GREAT AT BEING THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

DAVID: OK, THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

SO DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU STARTED-- MARC: WELL, THANK YOU, DAVID.

[APPLAUSE] DAVID: DID YOU EVER THINK WHEN YOU STARTED IT THAT IT WOULD GET ANYWHERE?

I MEAN, YOU WERE STARTING IN AN APARTMENT.

DID YOU HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL?

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR CAPITAL FROM?

MARC: I THOUGHT WE'D GO RIGHT TO $130 BILLION IN MARKET CAP.

NO.

YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF AMAZING EXECUTIVES AND ENTREPRENEURS IN THIS ROOM, I MEAN, SOME THAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE.

YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER THE DAY VERY WELL.

I WROTE DOWN A BUNCH OF NOTES THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF COFOUNDERS KEPT.

AND WE HAD A VISION FOR "THE END OF SOFTWARE."

WE HAD A VISION FOR CRM THAT I KIND OF ARTICULATED.

WE HAD A VISION FOR THE 1-1-1 MODEL.

WE WROTE ALL OF THOSE THINGS DOWN, AND THEN WE STARTED TO HIRE PEOPLE INTO THE MODEL, AND IT JUST GOT GOING 21 YEARS AGO EXACTLY LIKE THAT.

AND THAT'S ALL WE DID.

DAVID: YOU RECENTLY, WITH YOUR WIFE, BOUGHT "TIME" MAGAZINE.

DO YOU GET TO PICK WHO IS THE PERSON OF THE YEAR?

OR DO FRIENDS CALL YOU UP AND SAY, "PICK ME"?

MARC: I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU, I CAN'T DO IT.

I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE.

I GET IT.

WE SHOULDN'T BRING IT UP HERE.

DAVID: WELL, MAYBE NEXT-- MARC: DAVID, YOU'RE VERY--LOOK, I REALIZE YOU ARE A GOOD CANDIDATE.

I GET IT.

BUT, LOOK... DAVID: DOES ADVERTISING ADVISE?

MARC: I'M NOT INVOLVED IN EDITORIAL.

DAVID: NOW, WHY DID YOU BUY TIME, BY THE WAY?

MARC: UH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HAVE IMPACT AND REALLY TO ADD MORE TRUST AND IMPACT IN THE WORLD.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED ABOUT "TIME" MAGAZINE--REALLY, THERE'S FOUR THINGS.

YOU KNOW, ONE IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT TRUST.

IT IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL BUSINESS.

THE STORIES THAT NOT ONLY MOLLY BUT ALSO HER PEERS ARE WRITING HAVE DRAMATIC IMPACT IN THE WORLD FOR THE GOOD.

IT'S A FANTASTIC MAGAZINE.

AND IT'S ALSO ALL ABOUT EQUALITY.

IN FACT, THAT IDEA THAT IT'S ABOUT TRUST, IMPACT, IT'S A MAGAZINE ABOUT EQUALITY, THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT "TIME."

T-I-M-E. DAVID: AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM.

MARC: YEAH.

DAVID: WOW.

OK. CAN YOU DO THE SAME FOR SALESFORCE.COM?

MARC: THAT DIDN'T GO OVER VERY WELL, ACTUALLY.

IT'S A TOUGH CROWD-- WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY BETTER MATERIAL.

DAVID: WELL, ALL RIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] YOUR BACKGROUND WAS YOU GREW UP IN SAN FRANCISCO.

IS THAT RIGHT?

MARC: I AM A FOURTH-GENERATION SAN FRANCISCAN.

DAVID: OK.

SO YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL.

WHERE YOU AN ATHLETE?

WERE YOU A STAR STUDENT?

MARC: I WAS INTO COMPUTERS.

REALLY, WHAT HAPPENED--IS MY DAD WAS A SMALL BUSINESSMAN.

AND HIS FAMILY HAD A BUSINESS IN SAN FRANCISCO--CLOTHING STORES.

AND HE HAD A MAJOR DISAGREEMENT AND FALLING OUT WITH HIS FAMILY AND ENDED UP PARTNERING WITH SOMEONE IN THE SOUTH BAY.

AND AS PART OF THAT, ON SATURDAYS, HE HAD A BUICK STATION WAGON, AND HE USED TO LOAD THE CLOTHES IN.

AND WE USED TO DRIVE AROUND THE BAY AREA, DELIVERING CLOTHES TO ALL THE DIFFERENT STORES, AND I'D HAVE TO DO THE REPRICING, REMARKETING, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE CLOTHES OUT, TAKE THE THING OFF, MOVE THEM AROUND, TALK TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES.

AND I REALLY DID NOT LIKE THAT, ACTUALLY.

IT WAS FUN TO BE WITH MY DAD, BUT I'M LIKE, "THIS IS NOT FOR ME."

PROBABLY LET HIM DOWN.

HE PROBABLY THOUGHT I'M GONNA TAKE OVER HIS WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORES.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I FOUND COMPUTERS.

YOU KNOW, I WAS IN RADIO SHACK IN 1979.

I FOUND THE TRS-80 MODEL I.

AND I WENT AND TALKED TO MY GRANDMOTHER, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, "I'D REALLY LIKE TO BUY ONE OF THESE."

AND SHE'S LIKE, "WELL, HOW MUCH IS IT?"

I'M LIKE, IT'S CLOSE TO, LIKE, $400.

SHE'S LIKE, "I'LL GIVE YOU 200 IF YOU CAN MAKE 200."

SO I GOT A JOB AT KERNS JEWELRY STORE ACROSS THE STREET.

AND AFTER SCHOOL IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS CLEANING THE JEWELRY CASES.

I GOT FIRED.

I DID A TERRIBLE JOB.

BUT I DID MAKE THE $200.

I GOT THE COMPUTER FROM HER.

I LEARNED HOW TO PROGRAM.

AND WHEN I WAS BASICALLY 15 YEARS OLD, I WROTE MY FIRST PIECE OF SOFTWARE--HOW TO JUGGLE-- AND SOLD IT TO A SOFTWARE COMPANY IN SANTA BARBARA CALLED "CLOAD MAGAZINE."

AND I WAS IN BUSINESS.

AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I WENT, "WHOA.

"I DON'T HAVE TO WORK IN THE CLOTHING STORE.

THIS IS AMAZING."

BY THE TIME I GOT TO COLLEGE, I HAD WRITTEN 10 SOFTWARE TITLES, AND I WAS MAKING MAYBE $1,500 A MONTH, WHICH FOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S REALLY GOOD.

SO THEN I'M LIKE, "THIS IS AMAZING."

AND THEN SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENED TO ME, WHICH IS I'M IN COLLEGE AT USC, I'M WRITING MY SOFTWARE OR WHATEVER.

AND THE SUPER BOWL COMES ON IN 1984, AND I'M ENJOYING THE SUPER BOWL, AND THERE'S THIS CRAZY AD.

IT SAID, "1984 WON'T BE LIKE 1984."

AND IT'S APPLE.

AND I'M LIKE, "MAYBE I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS MACINTOSH."

SO I BOUGHT THE MACINTOSH COMPUTER AND SET IT UP JUST LIKE THEY DID.

AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER, ACTUALLY ENDED UP HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A BIG FINANCIAL COMMITMENT, AND IT DIDN'T WORK.

AND I CALLED THEM AND TALKED TO THE HEAD OF EVANGELISM AT APPLE.

HIS NAME WAS GUY KAWASAKI.

HE KIND OF TURNED INTO A FAMOUS PERSON.

AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW, I'M 19 YEARS OLD.

"I JUST PUT ALL MY LIFE SAVINGS INTO YOUR COMPUTER "TO WRITE SOFTWARE, AND IT DOESN'T WORK.

SO WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THAT IS?"

THIS WAS IN MAY OF 1984 AT THAT POINT.

AND HE'S LIKE, "WHY DON'T YOU COME TO WORK HERE THIS SUMMER AND HELP US FIX IT?

BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS."

[LAUGHTER] AND I WAS LIKE, "WHAT WAS THAT?"

AND HE'S LIKE, "WE'RE GOING TO HIRE YOU AS AN INTERN INTO APPLE."

AND I'M LIKE, "OK, WHERE ARE YOU?"

WELL, HE'S IN CUPERTINO.

LIKE, IT'S A 15 MINUTE DRIVE.

IT'S ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO MY FATHER'S STORE.

DAVID: DID YOU MEET STEVE JOBS, HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?

MARC: I DID.

I MET STEVE JOBS, AND THEN STEVE JOBS ENDED UP HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON MY LIFE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I STARTED SALESFORCE.

IT WAS A VERY, VERY MEANINGFUL AND POWERFUL RELATIONSHIP.

AND I WOULDN'T BE THE PERSON I AM, AND SALESFORCE WOULD NOT BE THE COMPANY IT IS WITHOUT STEVE JOBS.

DAVID: NOW, WHEN SALESFORCE WAS STARTED, YOU STARTED A SYSTEM OF HAVING PEOPLE DEVELOP APPLICATIONS (APPs).

AND YOU HAD THE NAME OF THE APP STORE.

AND THEN CAN YOU TELL HOW THAT REVOLVED?

MARC: WELL, THIS WAS A REALLY WEIRD SITUATION.

SO IN 2001, SALESFORCE WAS, LIKE, 18 MONTHS OLD OR SOMETHING.

AND I GOT AN INVITATION TO FUND-- SOMETHING CALLED COLLEGE TRACK WAS STARTING, WHICH WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER BY STEVE JOBS' WIFE, LAURENE POWELL JOBS.

AND SO WE ENDED UP DOING IT.

AND THEN THERE WAS A DINNER AFTERWARDS, AND I WAS LIKE, "OH.

THIS IS GOING TO BE SOME INCREDIBLE, HUGE DINNER."

AND I GO TO THE DINNER, AND LAURENE HAD FORGOTTEN TO MAKE A RESERVATION, AND IT WAS PACKED.

SO STEVE'S LIKE, "I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL A TABLE OPENS."

NOW, I WON'T GO INTO THE ASPECTS OF HIS PERSONALITY, BUT JUST KNOW WE WEREN'T LEAVING.

SO... [LAUGHTER] HE'S LIKE, "YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING COOL?"

I'M LIKE, "WELL, YEAH."

SO HE TAKES WHAT WAS OUT OF HIS BACK POCKET.

HE GOES, "WELL, I JUST INTRODUCED THIS LAST WEEK.

IT'S THE iPOD."

AND HE HAD AN iPOD.

AND I'M LIKE, "WELL, THAT'S PRETTY COOL."

HE'S LIKE, "YEAH.

I GOT A THOUSAND SONGS IN MY POCKET.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?"

I'M LIKE, "WELL, I LIKE IT!"

[LAUGHTER] AND HE'S LIKE, "YEAH, YOU CAN TURN IT LIKE THIS.

AND IT ALLOWS..." HE CLICKED THIS, AND DA DA.

"WELL, THAT IS REALLY COOL."

AND THEN I SAID TO HIM, "YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF "LIKE A COMPUTER.

"YOU COULD PROBABLY BUILD A LITTLE APPLICATION THERE, "AND THAT SCREEN COULD BE COLOR.

"YOU COULD PROBABLY EVEN HAVE MOVIES.

"AND IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE THAT HARD.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE REALLY AWESOME."

AND HE GOES, "WE WILL NEVER DO THAT.

THAT'S THE DUMBEST IDEA I'VE EVER HEARD."

[LAUGHTER] SO THEN, WE HAVE THIS NICE LONG DINNER.

IT GOES ON FOR HOURS.

AND AT THE END, THEN HE SAYS, "WELL, MARC, DO YOU NEED SOME HELP RUNNING SALESFORCE?"

AND I GO, "WELL, MAYBE."

AND HE GOES, "WELL, IF YOU REALLY NEED HELP, "YOU'D BETTER COME AND SEE ME IN MY OFFICE, AND I WILL HELP YOU."

SO THEN I KIND OF GOT MY COURAGE UP, AND WE WENT DOWN THERE, AND I TOOK MY TWO COFOUNDERS WITH ME.

AND WE'RE DEMOING SALESFORCE.

AND HE GOES, "WELL, THIS IS [BLEEP]."

AND THEN HE'S LIKE, "YOU KNOW WHAT, MARC?

THERE'S THREE THINGS YOU BETTER DO, AND YOU BETTER DO IT RIGHT NOW."

AND I'M LIKE, "OK. WHAT ARE THEY?"

"NUMBER ONE, YOU BETTER GO GET THE BIGGEST CUSTOMER YOU POSSIBLY CAN GET, SOMEBODY LIKE AVON."

AVON IT WAS.

TWO, HE SAID, "NOW I WANT YOU TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS.

"YOU ARE GOING TO BE 10 TIMES LARGER IN 24 MONTHS, "OR IT IS OVER FOR YOU.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM DO SAYING?"

"YES, SIR."

"10 TIMES LARGER IN 24 MONTHS.

AND ONE LAST THING."

"YES?"

"YOU NEED TO GO BUILD AN APPLICATION ECONOMY."

"WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU'D BETTER GO FIGURE IT OUT."

[LAUGHTER] AND I SAID, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

AND WE WALKED OUT OF THE BUILDING AND GOT IN OUR CAR AND DROVE HOME, AND MY COFOUNDERS' MOUTHS WERE OPEN.

AND I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE LAST-- THE FIRST TWO ARE EASY.

BUT I COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT.

THEN I KIND OF HAD A DREAM WHERE I SAW THAT WE COULD HAVE IN OUR APPLICATION A MARKETPLACE, WHERE OTHER DEVELOPERS COULD MAYBE BUILD ON OUR PLATFORM AND THEN INSERT THINGS IN IT, AND THEN WE COULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CATALOG OF THINGS.

AND I'M LIKE, "THIS IS LIKE AN APP STORE."

AND I CALLED UP OUR LAWYER AT THE TIME, AND I REGISTERED THE TRADEMARK "APP STORE."

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IS WE GOT A CALL.

STEVE JOBS WANTS US TO COME DOWN FOR A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE APPLE CAMPUS.

SO THEN WE ARE DOWN THERE, AND WE'RE IN THIS BIG APPLE AUDITORIUM, AND IT'S A BIG PRODUCTION.

THE VIDEOS ARE GOING, AND STEVE WALKS OUT IN HIS JEANS AND THE BLACK T-SHIRT AND THE WHOLE THING.

AND HE SAYS, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, "I'M HERE TO ANNOUNCE MY GREATEST INVENTION OF ALL TIME--APP STORE."

[LAUGHTER] AND MY EMPLOYEES, WHO ARE SITTING AROUND ME, YOU COULD HEAR THEM HAVE AN AUDIBLE GASP.

[IMITATES LOUD GASP] THE PRODUCTION WENT ON.

AND AT THE END, THE WHOLE AUDITORIUM EMPTIED OUT AND STEVE WAS DOWN AT THE STAGE AT THE BOTTOM.

I SAID, "I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A GIFT."

HE GOES, "WELL, WHAT GIFT CAN YOU GIVE ME?"

AND I SAID, "I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE TRADEMARK FOR APP STORE "AND THE URL FOR NO CHARGE BECAUSE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME."

AND HE GOES, "WELL, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYTHING.

"YOU KNOW THE APP STORE IS "NEVER REALLY GOING TO WORK OUT, RIGHT?

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT BIG."

DAVID: RECENTLY, YOU'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THINGS OTHER THAN RUNNING SALESFORCE.COM.

SALESFORCE.COM HAS DONE VERY, VERY WELL, BUT YOU'VE BEEN A LEADER IN CERTAIN ISSUES.

FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN INDIANA DECIDED TO CHANGE ITS LAWS RELATING TO--LESBIANS, BISEXUALS, GAYS, AND SO FORTH, YOU DID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

WHAT DID YOU DO?

AND WHY WERE YOU SO CONCERNED ABOUT IT?

MARC: WE'RE NOT JUST THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE LARGEST TECH COMPANY IN SAN FRANCISCO, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY THE LARGEST TECH COMPANY IN INDIANA AND INDIANAPOLIS.

AND IF YOU GO TO INDIANAPOLIS, YOU'LL SEE A GORGEOUS SALESFORCE TOWER.

CALL ME AHEAD OF TIME.

UNBELIEVABLE VIEW.

AND MY EMPLOYEES CALL ME, AND THEY GO, "WELL, WE HAVE A PROBLEM."

AND I'M KIND OF LISTENING TO THEM, AND IT JUST FEELS INSIDE THAT THEY'RE RIGHT.

SO I'M LIKE, "DON'T WORRY.

"MIKE PENCE IS NEVER GONNA SIGN A LAW DISCRIMINATING AGAINST GAYS.

I'VE MET HIM.

HE'S GREAT."

WELL-- DAVID: HE DID.

MARC: HE DID.

AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AND MAYBE A LITTLE UPSET.

AND I TWEETED, "WELL, THIS IS GOING TO FORCE US, "IF INDIANA IS GOING TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST "OUR LGBTQ EMPLOYEES, THEN WE ARE GOING TO DISINVEST IN INDIANA."

BECAUSE HOW AM I GOING TO BRING MY CUSTOMERS THERE AND MY EMPLOYEES THERE?

AND HOW AM I GOING TO HIRE AND MAKE A GREAT TECH COMPANY THERE IF THEY'RE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST LGBTQ EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE?

AND THAT OPENED A DOOR.

AND BY THE NEXT DAY, EVERY OTHER COMPANY, LIKE CUMMINS, AND ELI LILLY IN INDIANA, AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPANIES, EVEN COMPANIES ALL OVER THE WORLD SAID, "WE AGREE WITH MARC.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DISINVEST."

AND MIKE PENCE CALLED ME AND SAID, "WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?"

AND I'M LIKE, "I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ISSUE ROLLING ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST THE STATE OF INDIANA."

[LAUGHTER] AND HE'S LIKE, "WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

I'M LIKE, "I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE BAD."

AND HE'S LIKE, "WELL, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?"

I'M LIKE, "WHY DON'T WE JUST RESOLVE THIS?

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW EACH OTHER.

THIS IS NOT THAT HARD."

AND, IN FACT, I SENT TWO OF MY EMPLOYEES TO HIS OFFICE.

AND WITHIN A COUPLE DAYS, IT WAS WORKED OUT.

HE CHANGED THE LAW, AND IT WAS ALL BEHIND US.

AND BY THE WAY, I THINK THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD WORK ANYWAY.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY EASY.

[APPLAUSE] DAVID: NOW, YOU DID A SIMILAR THING NOT LONG AGO WHEN, IN SAN FRANCISCO, THERE WAS A TAX THAT WAS PROPOSED TO HELP PAY FOR HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM IN SAN FRANCISCO.

MOST CEOs IN THE TECH WORLD SAID, THIS WAS CRAZY.

"WE'RE AGAINST IT."

YOU SAID YOU'RE SUPPORTING IT, AND YOU LOBBIED FOR IT, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY PASSED.

WHY DID YOU GET SO INVOLVED?

MARC: SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO DO HOMELESS SERVICES AND PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY.

AND SOME HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES OFF THE STREETS.

BUT WE HAVE 8,000 HOMELESS PEOPLE ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

SO I CAN SEE WE NEED A LOT MORE MONEY.

AND SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE THE TOP HOMELESS ADVOCATES AND MOST BRILLIANT PEOPLE IN HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-- SAN FRANCISCO, AND SCIENTISTS, MEDICAL DOCTORS, COME UP WITH SOMETHING CALLED PROP C. AND THAT IS TO DIRECT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE HOMELESS, BUT IT IS A TAX ON BUSINESS, 0.5% OF REVENUE, BUT ONLY FOR THE TOP 50 COMPANIES.

AND THE TOP THREE YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF--SALESFORCE, FACEBOOK, AND GOOGLE.

WE CAN AFFORD IT.

SO I JUST SAID, "LET'S SUPPORT IT."

AND WHEN I DID THAT, THAT WAS LIKE HEARSAY, THAT PEOPLE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT A CEO WOULD SUPPORT A TAX.

AND, IN FACT, SOME CEOs OF OTHER TECH COMPANIES GOT REALLY UPSET WITH ME, VERY UPSET WITH ME.

AND IT BECAME KIND OF A NIGHTMARE FOR ME, WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN, I GOT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE "NEW YORK TIMES," WHERE IT'S BENIOFF VERSUS THIS CEO AND SO FORTH.

AND I'M LIKE, THIS IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND WE ARE MAKING BILLIONS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, $130 BILLION.

WE CAN TAKE A TINY AMOUNT AND HELP CLEAN UP OUR CITY.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN BUSINESS.

WE CAN HAVE A GREAT SHAREHOLDER RETURN, AND WE CAN HAVE A GREAT STAKEHOLDER RETURN.

WE CAN DO BOTH.

DAVID: MORE RECENTLY, YOU SAID FACEBOOK IS CIGARETTES.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

MARC: WELL, IT IS.

FACEBOOK IS THE NEW CIGARETTES.

IT IS BAD FOR YOU, IT IS ADDICTIVE, THEY RUN--THEY DO ADVERTISING THAT'S NOT TRUE.

YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD BE REGULATED VERY AGGRESSIVELY.

DAVID: HAVE YOU HEARD FROM MARK ZUCKERBERG ABOUT YOUR STATEMENT?

MARC: SURE.

I'VE TALKED TO HIM, I'VE TALKED TO HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM.

AND WHAT I SAY IS, TRUST HAS TO BE YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.

IF TRUST IS NOT YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY AND IF YOU'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT ALL YOUR STAKEHOLDERS AND YOU'RE ONLY FOCUSED ON MONEY, THEN WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE YOU BUILDING?

NOW, THEY AGREE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT PORNOGRAPHY SHOULD NOT BE ON THEIR SITE, SO THEY HAVE BUILT THE TECHNOLOGY AND IT CLEANSES THEIR SITE OF PORNOGRAPHY.

THEY'RE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.

THEY HAVE A.I.

IT'S ADVANCED.

BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT THEY ALLOW, AND WHERE THEY COULD LOOK FOR TRUTH, WHERE THEY COULD ACTUALLY WORK TO HAVE GREAT INTEGRITY, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS ACCURATE AND CLEAR, THEY DON'T DO THAT.

AND THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IS A PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS TO BE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED.

[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.

AND BY THE WAY, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD DIRECTLY ADDRESS IT ARE ALL OF US.

WE HAVE TO ALL BE MINDFUL OF WHERE--BY THE WAY, STEVE JOBS IS THE ONE WHO ALWAYS SAID THIS TO ME.

BE MINDFUL AND PROJECT THE FUTURE THAT YOU WANT.

WE SHOULD ALL BE MINDFUL, KNOWING THESE THINGS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL, AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE "TIME" MAGAZINE.

"TIME" MAGAZINE, I'M HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT ON THE SITE.

SO, HOPEFULLY, MOLLY IS DOING A GREAT JOB IN WRITING TRUE STORIES AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW.

AND THEN, ALSO, THEY'RE A PUBLISHER.

FACEBOOK IS A PUBLISHER, TOO.

THEY SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, THE "NEW YORK TIMES," THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL," AND EVERY OTHER MEDIA ORGANIZATION WE HAVE ON THE PLANET.

IT'S NO DIFFERENT.

DAVID: SO AS RESULT OF YOUR SUCCESS AT SALESFORCE AND OTHER THINGS, YOU'VE, OBVIOUSLY, MADE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY.

IS YOUR GOAL IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE MORE MONEY, TO GIVE IT AWAY?

WOULD YOU CONSIDER RUNNING FOR OFFICE?

MARC: I WILL NEVER BE A POLITICIAN.

I WILL NEVER RUN FOR OFFICE.

I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO RUN FOR OFFICE.

I COULD NOT SEE HOW I COULD DO THAT.

I LIKE TO GO TO HAWAII, LIKE WHERE STEVE IS, ENJOY MYSELF.

THAT DOESN'T REALLY WORK WITH THAT MODEL.

[LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT BUSINESS IS THE GREATEST PLATFORM FOR CHANGE.

I THINK THAT WHAT I'M DOING, I CAN HAVE MORE IMPACT DOING WHAT I'M DOING WITH 45,000 EMPLOYEES AND ALL MY PARTNERS AND MY TRAILBLAZERS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND SAY, "WE CAN DO IT.

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD."

OH, BECAUSE, BY THE WAY, IF YOU AND I DON'T CHANGE THE WORLD, NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO REPAIR THE WORLD.

WE HAVE TO IMPROVE THE WORLD.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THE BOARD OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM TOGETHER, WE'RE TRUSTEES OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM.

YOU KNOW, OUR TAGLINE IS "COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE STATE OF THE WORLD."

ISN'T THAT EVERYONE'S TAGLINE?

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE ON THIS PLANET, IS TO IMPROVE THE STATE OF THE WORLD.

WE'RE NOT HERE JUST TO MAKE MONEY.

WE'RE NOT JUST HERE TO MANIPULATE OTHER PEOPLE OR TO GET OUR WAY.

WE'RE HERE TO IMPROVE THE WORLD AND TO LOVE EACH OTHER.

AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

♪