Big Man

I met the founder of one of the big dotcom era services -- whom we shall call "L" -- at a networking thing, where he was "pitching his new deal," as they say. I had heard L might have an interest in a technology a friend has, so I went to thumbnail it to him and get his card.

I described it: "You know, I invented that" L says to me.
Me: "Yeah yeah, but he's got a fresh wrinkle, he'll tell you more about it."

So I get L's card and hang out there listening to him talk. Nice guy. Good looking. Younger than you would think. Near mullet. Big lapels.

And then he goes, in the context of something else: "I know the 3 richest people in China and the richest Chinese person in America." Which is odd, that he should say that.. We know the guy's rich. Why the need to brag and compete with people clearly less rich than him. Maybe he's saying he's got access and could help with "deals," dunno. Or maybe to be that successful you've got to just want to compete and demonstrate all the time.

Or maybe we all posture and name drop a little to bolster ourselves, and it just comes out more strikingly when the names are big. For instance, me telling this story here. I know L

*BTW -- this was an old post from 2007 that I had unpublished for some reason, judging by the old comments. This was Sean Parker of Napster, for those of you with memories going that far back.