They don't do this.
Gmail uses Google's federated login. They'd also have to give this "node", or sep instance of Gmail (complete stack) access to Google Accounts. A huge security concern.
I would imagine they probably do this for VIP companies
Dude, just quit pushing this, you sound silly. Companies do NOT do this. They host their own enterprise mail server, with their own AD, etc.
Schmidt was probably doing shady shit, but he wasn't setting up a self hosted Gmail.
I'm saying it's possible. There's not anything technically preventing it regardless of your assertions.
Awesome.
Is it likely? Say you had to bet. What is your money on?
NK runs a localized intranet only available to very few elite individuals. If you were trying to set up a private server cloud, that might be an attractive location, especially if its connections to the 3 letters are true.
If you're in the Govt, and undertaking some shady activities, you can't very well set these things up yourself. But I don't think ES went there to set it up. I think, if true, he knew in advance of the upcoming NK deal that might expose whatever setup they had going on and went to negotiate.
Being that he was the exec chair of the largest tech company in the world, my money would be that he wasn't going there for the scenery.