My guest today is Adrien Cohen, a remarkable entrepreneur. He built and sold his first business, Lazada, for $3 billion and led the rapid growth of Tractable, a multi-billion-dollar AI company for accident and disaster recovery. In our conversation, Adrien candidly shares his journey to finding his life's purpose, why he quit a lucrative job at Goldman Sachs and prefers venture philanthropy over impact investing, his tips for a happy marriage, and the intriguing story of his parents keeping their wealth a secret until he made his own mark Adrien lived in France, China, Vietnam and the UK.
Follow Adrien Cohen on: linkedin.com/in/adrien-cohen-883a1527/
Timestamps
00:00:00: Introduction
00:01:44: Early Motivation
00:03:28: Relationship with Judaism
00:04:36: Being a spoiled rich kid
00:05:20: What parents did right
00:06:07: The world is competitive
00:09:41: Defining success
00:10:52: Leaving Goldman Sachs
00:14:21: Starting e-commerce in Vietnam
00:16:33 Motivation
00:17:32 Critical Thinking
00:18:19 Exit from Lazada
00:19:43: Current stage of his new venture
00:23:58: Dealing with feelings of being an imposter
00:25:25: Discussing financial success and its responsibilities
00:27:13: The responsibility of exited founders to make a difference
00:30:02: Discussing the unique time in history for young, self-made individuals
00:31:58: Channelling guilt and insecurities into action
00:32:48: The mission to cure paralysis
00:34:10: Sharing personal tragedy and its impact
00:38:11: Introducing the concept of venture philanthropy
00:42:24: The structure and aim of the venture philanthropic fund
00:45:22: Choosing people to surround oneself with
00:47:16: The Secret Superpower - Using Empathy and Acceptance
00:50:00: Rules, Principles, and Lessons for Creating a Unified Relationship
00:57:10: Dealing with the Control Freak Aspect
00:59:16: Balancing Work, Life, and Family
01:01:12: Raising Children with Integrity and Humor
01:02:07: How to Be Remembered - Leaving a Lasting Impact and Legacy
