Why Do Eric Schmidt, Sheryl Sandberg and Elon Musk Love Butte, Mont.?

The CEOs of the nation’s largest companies typically don’t have a reason to fly to Butte, Mont. But that’s where they are this week, a who’s who of corporate America, participating in the Montana Economic Development Summit, billed as an effort to “boost our state’s economy by finding Montana solutions for Montana jobs.”

That may sound like a regional concern, but the non-Montana titans of industry in attendance include Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and many more, including executives from Ford, Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, ConocoPhillips, Oracle, FedEx and Delta AirlinesSponsors of the event include even more behemoths, like Walmart, Pfizer, Pepsi, Microsoft, Nike, Lockheed Martin and dozens more. Read more...