[Maxburn]

> And, wouldn’t Apple just choose somewhere else to direct the funds otherwise?

Ding! nailed it.

These sweetheart deals exist because they know they are in competition with others and just want to capture a piece of it or risk losing it all.

[rootusrootus]

Then why didn't some little podunk town elsewhere in California work out a deal more lucrative to Apple than what Cupertino offered? Clearly this has a lot to do with Apple's HQ location. The actual money is just a pittance.

[stonogo]

Because that would have fucked up Steve's commute. Apple HQ wasn't picked based on how much they could drag out of the local government. Their lawyers, however, were.