He was in our graduating class. The scholarship kid who kept to himself. He just arrived in an actual helicopter. Whose helicopter is that? I do not know, but I am googling him right now.
Derek pulls his core crew aside. Brad Wilson and Jason Moore, closest friends since elementary school. This is absolutely insane, he mutters. Brad, honest as always. Dude, you literally told us he probably would not even show up tonight.
You said he was too embarrassed about his life. I did not think a helicopter. Jason grasps for explanations. Maybe he rented it for the flex, spent his entire savings. Derek grabs onto this desperately.
Yeah, has to be rental. Maxed out credit cards. All for show. Brad unconvinced. That suit does not look like someone who maxed out credit cards.
Travis stands at the bar now, orders water, staying sharp. Sarah Mitchell approaches. Was consistently nice during high school. Travis, that entrance was unbelievable. Hi, Sarah.
Good to see you. We want to hear everything. What have you been up to? The question everyone wants answered hangs heavy. I run a tech company based in New York.
What kind of tech? Productivity software enterprise solutions company called Apex Innovations. Brad's face changes visibly. Color drains. Hand moves to pocket.
Pulls out phone like emergency. Derek notices. What? What is it? Brad typing frantically.
Google search Apex Innovation CEO. Face goes completely white as results load. Dude. He turns the phone screen toward Derek with trembling hand. What Derek sees will destroy his entire night before it has truly begun.
Brad's phone screen displays a TechCrunch headline dated from three months ago. Apex Innovations closes $180 million series B funding round eyes 225 IPO. Derek stares at the words brain actively refuses to process. That cannot be right. There must be another company.
Brad scrolls down. It is him. Look at this. There is a photo. Photo shows Travis.
Professional headshot. Caption: Travis Taylor, chief executive officer and founder, Apex Innovations. The information cascade begins spreading through the room. Brad shows Jason. Jason's eyes widen dramatically.
Shows his wife. She gasps. Shows two women next to her at bar. Whispers become conversation volume quickly. Did you see this?
Oh my god. Someone near windows pulls out phone. Then someone else. Then everyone. Within 90 seconds, 43 of 47 people are googling Travis Taylor.
Search results paint picture Derek never imagined possible. Forbes pulls up first. 30 Under 30. Travis Taylor, 28. From community college to $180 million valuation in 6 years.
LinkedIn founder and CEO 400 plus employees. New York. Business insider. How one CEO built remote work empire during COVID while other startups collapsed. Company website loads on multiple screens.
Professional, clean design. Offices: NYC, SF, Austin. Clients, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Adobe. Room detonates with overlapping exclamations. $180 million. He is the actual CEO.
400 Employees. Forbes 30 under 30. He went to Stanford. Questions overlap. Creating wall of sound.
Travis stands calmly at bar sipping water. Watches realization spread. Expression does not change. Simply exists in center of chaos. Calm like eye of hurricane.
Derek reads everything. Techrunch. Forbes. LinkedIn. Back to tech crunch.