Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is a billionaire businessman and investor. He probably would have been a successful facility manager because he understands the importance of keeping occupants happy.
Ballmer’s NBA team is building a new arena, the Intuit Dome, that won’t be ready until the 2024-2025 season. While the arena helps the Clippers escape the large shadow that is the Los Angeles Lakers, Ballmer is especially giddy about one aspect of the team’s new home that facility managers know all too well about – the importance of quality restrooms.
“Toilets! 1,160 toilets and urinals,” Ballmer told a gathering of people at the construction site during an update on the progress. "Three times the NBA average! We do not want people waiting in line. We want people to get back to their damn seats.”
According to SB Nation, Ballmer has been obsessing over the number of toilets ever since the arena’s 2021 groundbreaking.
“Toilets, toilets, toilets,” was his rallying cry back then, and it still holds true today.
If Ballmer’s next arena update includes overflowing praise for the HVAC and lighting system, we’re going to recommend he switch careers.
Dave Lubach is managing editor of the facilities market.
