Bill Campbell Cut Ties With Google Over Apple Rivalry

Bill Campbell, a close adviser and confidant to some of the Valley's best-known figures, reveals that the rivalry between Google and Apple forced him to cut his ties with the former.

Mr. Campbell also confirmed for the first time that the growing rivalry between Google and Apple made his position as an adviser to both companies untenable. As we reported in March, Mr. Campbell chose to cut his ties to Google, a company where he played an instrumental role. (Mr. Schmidt, Google's chief executive, in an interview with Fortune once described Mr. Campbell the following way: "His contribution to Google – it is literally not possible to overstate. He essentially architected the organizational structure.")

"I don't do much for Google anymore," Mr. Campbell said. While he still talks to Eric Schmidt once in a while, "the Android competition has changed the whole dynamic. I don't want to be a burden to either company. I don't want to be a focal point for any dissent."