Salesforce.com founder apologizes for promotion

Entrepreneur Marc Benioff has always gone to extremes to promote his Internet startup, Salesforce.com. Now he’s been enlightened about going too far.

This summer, Salesforce.com donated $75,000 to the American Himalayan Foundation in return for 500 tickets to a San Francisco speech by the Dalai Lama. Benioff planned to use the event as a prelude to a party thanking customers of his service, which helps businesses track customers.

Benioff invited the guests with a poster featuring a picture of the Dalai Lama meditating under the headline, “There is no software on the path to enlightenment.” The phrase refers to Salesforce.com’s crusade to eliminate the need for traditional software by leasing applications over the Internet.

When the American Himalayan Foundation complained that the poster made it seem like the Dalai Lama endorsed Salesforce.com, a chastened Benioff scrambled to mend fences.

He sent a letter of apology to all the invited guests, asked them to return the posters and returned the tickets to the Dalai Lama’s speech — while insisting the Himalayan Foundation keep the $75,000. Salesforce.com donated an additional $25,000 to soothe hurt feelings.

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