Google Early Investors

This article ( http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9253870.htm ) says the following:

"If I were thinking about bidding, I'd also be leery about the holdings key insiders are unloading in the IPO. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin expect to sell more than $100 million worth of shares each. Eric Schmidt, the chief executive, also has plans to cash in, and early investors are going to hit the jackpot."

I remember Joel said he was an investor in Google. How does someone like Joel or anyone become any early investor? Do the founders of the company have to contact you? Do you have to buy the shares or do they give them to you? I don't get it.

Modern Cowboy
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Ass or grass.

Nobody gets shares for free.

Mr.Fancypants
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Shaquille O'Neal and Tiger Woods are also early investors. It's good to see those two tech gods got in on the action early.

Modern Cowboy
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

I heard there was a scam going around where some guy sold pre-ipo google shares to otherwise intelligent and industry savvy people.  I wonder who fell for that one?

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

People who serve on a company's board of directors are often given shares.  This is pretty close to "free"; just show up at the board meetings and file your expense report for the plane ticket/hotel.

free(malloc(-1))
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Maybe that's why Joel has been (relatively) quiet recently. He's been packing for his move to [insert name of luxurious, rich-person's abode].

Nemesis
Wednesday, July 28, 2004

It mostly has to do with who gives some cash early on.

A lot of time, it takes being an "angel investor" and the owner(s) showing appreciation with free/discounted stock.

KC
Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Joel never mentioned where he got those google shares from.  Maybe he does work for VCs or something. 

christopher (baus.net)
Wednesday, July 28, 2004

The percentage of shares insiders are selling for the IPO is trivial.  $100 mill out of $2Bill?  5% of their stake.

Bella
Friday, July 30, 2004

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