Everyone laughed when they stayed broke on purpose.

No new cars. No holidays. Just hoodies, grit, and obsession.

Years later, those same people watched them walk away with $600M.

This wasn’t luck.
It was the long game.
And most people can't handle it.🧵 In the early 2000s, Simon & Tah-nee were selling streetwear at local markets.

They didn't have big investors or a business background.

Just a deep love for street culture — and a relentless work ethic.

But here’s the thing most people miss:

In 1999, this woman got kicked out of her finance job at Salomon Brothers.

No safety net. Just £20,000 in the bank. No clue what’s next.

Fast forward 20 years—her skincare brands are worth over £100 million.

Here’s how she went from unemployed to filthy rich:🧵 Maria grew up in Greece and studied in Athens before heading to the US for a master’s in business.

She landed a job in corporate finance, working in the high-pressure world of investment banking.

But in 1999, she was let go.

That was the turning point.

Rockefeller was the richest man in history.
More than Musk, Bezos, Gates.

But what broke his empire wasn’t regulation.

It was a bloodless, corporate massacre—so brutal, it’s barely taught in schools.

This is the Cleveland Massacre—the real reason Rockefeller crashed:🧵 You’ve heard of Steve Jobs.
Elon Musk.
Jeff Bezos.

But what if I told you none of them ever played the game like John D. Rockefeller?

They played business.
Rockefeller played war.

You think Netflix is just about watching shows? Think again.

Behind every episode you stream is a huge data machine driving what you see—and what Netflix makes.

Let’s break down how Netflix turned data into a $10 billion powerhouse in Q1 2025:🧵 Netflix isn’t just an entertainment platform—it’s a data company disguised as one.

Every tap, pause, rewind, and scroll you do is tracked.

Why? Because that data is gold for them.

It tells Netflix what you really like... and what you don’t.

In 1996, Kodak was the fourth most valuable company in the world.

By 2012 they filed for bankruptcy.

And no, it wasn't because they failed to innovate. Kodak sabotaged themselves.

This is the untold story behind their fall:🧵 In the late 19th century, Kodak redefined photography.

Before Kodak, cameras were clunky, expensive, and only accessible to professionals.

But Kodak changed everything.

This happened in China.

A robot was hanging limp from a crane.

Then—suddenly—it came alive.
Smashed a monitor, and attacked a man.

12M watched the footage.
They called it the first robot uprising.

Still, that same model was sold to the public.🧵 The footage is chilling:

Inside a factory in China, a humanoid robot hangs motionless from a crane while two workers talk nearby.

Then—suddenly—it snaps to life.
Its limbs whip around violently. A computer monitor goes flying.

And these men?
They run for their lives.

In 2018, Celsius was a $280M energy drink brand on the verge of collapse.

Delisted from Nasdaq. Dropped by Costco. Almost dead.

Today? It’s worth $13.4 BILLION.

Here's how a no-name brand became Red Bull’s worst nightmare:🧵 First, some background:

Celsius tried to take on Red Bull and Monster with a similar “high energy” vibe.

It flopped. Too crowded. Too confusing. No edge.

By 2018, no one believed in the brand. Except John Fieldly.

A startup sells for millions.

But when the deal is closed, founders walk away with almost nothing.

Not because the company failed—but because of a clause buried in the investor deal.

This is how founders get wiped out in “successful” exits:
🧵 Remember Good Technology.

They were valued at $1.1 billion, then acquired by BlackBerry in 2015 for $425M.

But here's where things went south...
Over $350 million went to investors.

Founders and early employees went home with nearly nothing.

Your sales calls are too long.

Not because you talk too much… But because you don’t know what to listen for.

Great founders listen for exactly 3 Signals — then close or move on.

Here’s how to steal that skill:🧵 When I started selling, I thought long calls meant progress.

I wanted to build rapport. Understand every pain point. Go deep.

But 40-minute discovery calls turned into 60.
And the close rate is still inconsistent.

I realized something hard: information ≠ insight

I’m obsessed with comebacks like this.

Before 2012, Boston Scientific was a mess...
Flat stock. $4B in losses. Crushed morale.

Until Michael Mahoney took over.

• Doubled revenue
• Added $50B+ value
• Grew stock 1,900%

This is how he did it: 🧵 Mahoney actually wanted to be a doctor.

But a C+ in organic chemistry killed that dream.

So he pivoted—got an MBA, then started selling nuclear cardiology cameras.

That blend of science + commercial instinct shaped everything he later built.

I used to invest in flashy startups that made headlines.

Until I saw a funeral home quietly make more profit than a VC-funded app.

Here's the simple reason boring businesses like these always win:
(Bookmark this—You'll thank me later) Warren Buffett didn’t invest in Tesla, Google, or Facebook.
He missed them all—and he admits it.

Yet he's worth over $130 billion.

How?
He made his fortune by betting on the boring stuff.

Same way Shaq and Codie Sanchez got rich.

I've studied thousands of businesses over 15 years, and the pattern is clear:

Ferrari businesses attract attention.
Toyota businesses create millionaires.

The wealth paradox nobody talks about: 👇 Everyone today is chasing the the next revolutionary app or cutting edge tech - thinking it's their ticket to dream money.

These are the "Ferrari businesses" of the world.

Craig Fuller bought a dying magazine for $3.5M.

Tripled the price. Made it profitable.

Then used it to sell over $28M in jets and luxury real estate to the readers.

Now he pulls $50M+ a year.

This is how you weaponize media.

🧵 Craig Fuller's dad founded U.S. Xpress—one of America’s biggest freight companies.

So when Craig launched FreightWaves (a data/media platform for logistics), it blew up.

It was no surprise.
Business ran in the family.

But then Craig did something that confused everyone...