TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington is a polarising figure. Hundreds of tech entrepreneurs attempt to wow him every day in an effort to gain positive media coverage, making him one of Silicon Valley’s few genuine king-makers and breakers.

This, of course, makes him a target. The TechCrunch office was, until recently, Arrington’s home, an arrangement that ended when some overly enthusiastic entrepreneurs decided to break in ^[1] in order to pitch their company. In January, a stranger walked up to him at a German airport and spat in his face ^[2] before disappearing into the crowd, prompting him to take a leave of absence.

Like him or loathe him, you have to respect what Arrington has built. And when he speaks, especially about technology, people tend to listen.

Here’s an interesting video of his recent appearance on the Charlie Rose show during which he discusses the Google/Microsoft rivalry, Apple’s next big product and the recent storm over TechCrunch’s decision to publish confidential documents that were leaked from Twitter.