It’s easy to imagine George Kurtz sympathetically nodding at Axon’s Rick Smith, perhaps even mumbling “there but for the grace of God …” Indeed, Scottsdale’s duo of tech giants – CrowdStrike, founded by Kurtz, exceeds $2 billion in annual revenue, with Axon fast approaching at $1.5 billion – are walking separate paths on their “visionary” projects that seem close cousins, if not fraternal twins. Smith might even grumble he is being forced to walk not a path – but a plank.
His dream of a “corporate campus” featuring five apartment buildings (with some condos) and a hotel surrounding a spaceship-like Axon headquarters seemed cleared for lift off when Scottsdale City Council gave him a 5-2 rezoning approval in November. But that was followed by the Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions challenge likely to put his plan on the 2026 ballot. Smith hopes the Legislature will pass a “Hail Mary” bill that would allow him to move forward.
For the time being, Smith has been lassoed while CrowdStrike leader Kurtz is skipping along – less than 3 miles from Axon. The Parque – like Axon – received a 5-2 rezoning approval from City Council, almost exactly one year before Axon’s rezoning green light. The same two representatives – Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield – who voted against the Axon plan opposed Kurtz and the Parque… read more >