My First Million The Crazy Story of Google’s 7 Angel Investors
1075 snips
Jan 16, 2025 Discover the fascinating journeys of seven pivotal angel investors who shaped Google's early success. From NBA star Shaquille O'Neal's unexpected entry into tech investing to Susan Wojcicki's role as a supportive landlord, the stories reveal the power of serendipity in Silicon Valley. Learn how these investors prioritized backing visionary founders over mere ideas and the extraordinary returns that followed. The podcast dives into the dynamics of networking, the evolution of angel investing, and the nostalgic contrast between early tech culture and today's rapid innovation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Lucky Office
- 165 University Avenue, dubbed the "Lucky Office", housed successful ventures like Google, PayPal, and Logitech.
- Its success is attributed to a "magic" that eventually fades, like a song being mined from a room, according to Ed Sheeran.
Bechtolsheim's Investment
- Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, received an email from Larry and Sergey about their search engine.
- Impressed by a demo, Bechtolsheim wrote a $100,000 check to Google Inc. without a valuation.
Cheriton's Investment
- Bechtolsheim, excited about Google, told David Cheriton, a Stanford professor and future Arista Networks founder.
- Cheriton, known for his frugality despite wealth, also invested in Google's early stages.