Facebook. Al Checchi a cautionary tale for Meg Whitman. A decade before Republican former eBay CEO Meg Whitman began pursuing a pricey dream to make the switch from business to politics and become California's governor, another wealthy star in America's business stratosphere - also a first-time political candidate - spent millions of his personal fortune seeking the same golden ring.
Alfred Attilio Checchi, the former co-chair of Northwest Airlines, electrified the 1998 Democratic primary, built up a huge lead in the polls, made national headlines, and invested a stunning $40 million - a state record since eclipsed by Whitman - in pursuit of his dream, only to lose to then-Lt. Gov. Gray Davis, the underdog. Despite the disappointments and drama of a failed effort still cited as the key evidence of California voters' hesitation to accept a business leader without a political resume, Checchi said in an interview with The Chronicle that he seriously considered running again this year as an independent. Meg's Spending: Jets, Consultants, Ads. She flies ACM Aviation, a fleet of private planes advertising “white glove” service. He flies AirTran Airways, the self-described “low-fare airline.” She frequents luxury hotels, from the Waldorf Astoria to the Beverly Hills Hotel.
He books rooms through Hotwire.com, which offers “cheap travel deals” on hotels to be named later. She’s a billionaire spending her fortune running for California governor.