As an investor, I've been impressed by Google's ability to keep focused on solving Big Problems that only Google's unmatched computational and engineering resources can tackle. Solutions to Big Problems like machine language translation and democratising media really do have the potential to change the world and make billions for Google shareholders at the same time.

But as Google's stock price soars, we've been hearing more blather and bombast from the Googleplex. Is the wealth corrupting Google's usual clear-headed approach? Or is the disease isolated to CEO Eric Schmidt? Either way, it's troubling to me as an investor.

Schmidt went off the deep end on the Charlie Rose show (via Battelle and SVW). Here's a sampling of his howlers:

Schmidt promised to deliver perfect, single-answer search results to people living in trees in the Amazon.
Because of its size, Google is the biggest and best opportunity Google employees will ever have in their lifetimes.
Google is a force for world peace.

The thing is, there's actually an element of possibility in each of these statements. But to have Schmidt taking to the airwaves sounding ridiculous and naive does Google and its shareholders no good. And it makes me wonder if the God-complex is driving Google instead of more terrestrial goals.

I wish Schmidt would just keep quiet and focus all his energy on delivering products that will truly change the world. Leave the megalomania to cult leaders like Michael Saylor. Humility is a virtue.