Then there's James Treybig, the colorful Texan who founded Tandem Computers Inc. in 1974, headquartering it, naturally, in California.

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It has also focused attention on how some international cruise companies operate, registering their ships in countries where there may be weak regulations or where international rules are poorly enforced, but at the same time headquartering their companies in the United States and Europe.

CNN: July 8, 2012 -- Updated 1911 GMT (0311 HKT)