Marc Benioff: "I attribute Salesforce's great performance to my ability to work in Hawaii."

"When he's not traveling around the world to meet customers, Benioff gets much of his work done at the Hawaii getaway he built with his estimated fortune of $1.3 billion. It's where he spends about one-fourth of his time, relying on a high-definition video feed that keeps him wired with Salesforce's San Francisco headquarters and other offices.

"Nothing will help you let go faster than swimming alongside a pod of dolphins," Benioff told The Associated Press during a recent video interview from Hawaii. "It's an amazing experience. It connects you back to what's really important."

Here are excerpts from the interview with Benioff, who wore a "Relax" T-shirt as a wooden Buddha figure loomed in the background.

Q: Do you get good ideas when you're swimming with the dolphins?

A: I have gotten some of my best insights when I have been able to surrender myself to nature like that. I attribute Salesforce's great performance to my ability to work in Hawaii.

I try to adopt a Zen perspective of a beginner's mind. And I think the best way to get a beginner's mind is to get to an environment like this where you can kind of let go."