Chapter 45: An Unordinary Life
Chapter 45: An Unordinary Life
I received a request to be filmed in the United States.
- Producer Seong Ho-jin: It's a shoot about your daily life. Many people are curious about how you live, CEO Kim.
- Kim Shin: I'm not a celebrity. I don't think it would be very interesting.
- Producer Seong Ho-jin: We'll make it interesting. We'll keep the crew small, just three or four people, to minimize any inconvenience.
As I discussed the request to appear on the show, one thought came to mind.
‘A business needs publicity.’
Market entry is the biggest challenge for any startup.
Once Source Coin was complete, it would be a race against time.
Many people would need to mine Source Coin, sharing their computing resources. That way, Biolife's AI could analyze viruses much faster.
If we had enough surplus, we could even sell computing resources to other companies.
I was funding the entire business out of my own pocket.
Bankruptcy. Insolvency.
I wasn't facing that just yet, but the idea itself was something anyone could come up with.
If I lost time and money, competitors would dominate the market.
‘In business, you have to go all in.’
As the CEO, I couldn't just leave it all to my employees.
- Kim Shin: Alright. Come and film.
- Producer Seong Ho-jin: Thank you for agreeing. We'll leave as early as tomorrow.
I decided to accept the fact that my face would be all over television.
It might make my daily life inconvenient, but it wasn't like I'd be riding buses or subways and walking around the streets of Korea much anymore anyway.
“A film crew is coming from Korea. I agreed because I thought it would be necessary to promote Source Coin.”
Since they'd be filming at home too, I explained the situation to Oh Myeong-woo in advance.
“Are they going to film our apartment?”
“Yeah. They need to show our daily lives.”
We each had our own room in the three-bedroom apartment, but the living room and his room were filled with Oh Myeong-woo's figurines, game posters, and girl group posters.
“A TV show, that sounds fun. Are any girl groups coming?”
“Why would a girl group come here?”
“Hmph. A huge disappointment, but I guess it's a chance to show off my treasures to the viewers.”
Oh Myeong-woo started taking out the figurines from his display case one by one to wipe them clean.
Limited editions with long histories behind them.
I might get public attention for being rich, but I had a feeling Oh Myeong-woo would be the one to get popular on the show.
He weighed close to 90 kg, but he had a rather cute face.
Earth Resource.
I also made an announcement in the Telegram group chat for the employees.
- Kim Shin: A film crew is coming from Korea.
- Kim Shin: It will be shot in a documentary style. They'll just be filming our daily routine, so please act as you normally would.
- Simon: Yes. Understood.
- Danny: Okay.
Nearly seventy other employees didn't reply.
It seemed that filming for a broadcast was considered a common occurrence at a Silicon Valley company.
* * *
A producer, a writer, and a cameraman. The three of them arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Korea.
As soon as he collected his luggage, Seong Ho-jin contacted him via KakaoTalk.
- Producer Seong Ho-jin: We've arrived at the airport, CEO Kim.
- Kim Shin: I had something to take care of, so I couldn't come to meet you. You said you'd be filming at my home first, right?
- Producer Seong Ho-jin: Yes. We thought it would look better on screen. It would be best to start with you relaxing at home.
- Kim Shin: Okay. I'll be waiting.
The three left the airport and took a taxi. They had come all the way to America, but they were full of worries.
“We're probably going to see some incredible luxury mansion right from the start.”
“It's good for pulling in ratings at the beginning, but people might react negatively to a lifestyle that's too extravagant.”
“Let's just edit out what we need to. Still, fewer people these days get upset seeing rich people live well.”
“I just hope we can get enough footage. We need to fill a one-hour slot.”
The scenery from the taxi wasn't a wealthy neighborhood, but an ordinary area of Palo Alto.
At the address was a high-rise apartment building.
It was a decent, recently built apartment, but it was just one of many common buildings.
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
“Thank you for welcoming us.”
Kim Shin, who was waiting by the roadside, exchanged light handshakes with Producer Seong Ho-jin, the writer, and the cameraman. Then they went into the apartment and began filming inside.
The sight of a three-bedroom apartment with a computer, a game console, and other things.
Producer Seong Ho-jin tilted his head and asked.
“Is this where you live now?”
“Yes. I live here with a friend.”
It looked exactly like a place where young men in their twenties or thirties with a bit of family money would live.
One room was used as a closet, filled with a single dryer and mid-to-low-priced brands.
Producer Seong Ho-jin said to the writer.
“The scenes at his house are pretty ordinary.”
“Right? The viewers will have certain expectations for a super-rich person.”
“Yeah. A glimpse into his daily life is nice, but... this could unnecessarily raise suspicions of it being staged.”
When the show aired, the first reaction would be people questioning how a billionaire could live in an ordinary home.
Even though, in reality, even Warren Buffett had lived in an ordinary house for decades.
Even if people accepted it as is, a common apartment was just not interesting.
“It's not like he has multi-million dollar art pieces in his house.”
“His roommate's room has a few girl group posters, though.”
“An apartment where two guys live. This isn't what we came here expecting.”
For a shoot, they would usually have a preliminary discussion with the writer, even if just by phone, and he felt it was a mistake not to have gone through that process.
Kim Shin came out wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a simple jacket.
“I'm heading to work now.”
“To work?”
“Yes. I started a small business recently. You must be tired from the long trip to the States. Would you like to go to your hotel and rest?”
“We slept a lot on the plane. We'll keep filming.”
How could they rest when they barely had any footage?
Several luxury sedans were waiting at the apartment entrance.
Fortunately, Kim Shin's car and bodyguards were closer to the life of the super-rich.
They got a ride in one of the cars and arrived at the company.
In a spacious office, what looked to be about a hundred employees were working.
“Where is this place?”
“I recently created a startup. What we're doing now is developing a coin.”
“A coin, you say...”
The expressions on Producer Seong Ho-jin and writer Kim Soo-jin's faces darkened.
They vividly remembered the crypto craze, and had even invested and lost money themselves.
Many viewers thought of coins as scams.
If a super-rich person was in the crypto business, his reputation would plummet.
‘This is un-airable. Should we make an excuse and pull out?’
As he was deep in serious thought, Kim Shin spoke.
“This is a company I founded for Biolife.”
“Biolife?”
“It's a company that researches vaccines and treatments for influenza and the coronavirus in Korea.”
The coronavirus.
It was a hot topic that had the public's attention, to the point where news ratings were soaring.
“I've been funding research for influenza and coronavirus treatments through Biolife for two years now. I invested because I believed in the brilliant genius, Dr. Lee Ho-yeon. He said he needed massive computing resources to analyze the coronavirus, so I came to the U.S. and founded this company.”
“I see. Please tell us more about how you founded the company.”
Producer Seong Ho-jin moved in closer.
* * *
I was nervous about being filmed by a broadcast team, but it proceeded in a very relaxed atmosphere.
‘I just have to show them who I am.’
Trying to add anything more would just be weird.
I couldn't show off an incredible flex like other super-rich people.
A private jet, a lavish mansion, parties with dozens of beautiful women.
Until just two years ago, I was eating triangle kimbap and cup noodles at a convenience store.
When middle and high school students would grab a side of kimchi, I wanted some so badly.
‘I might have the life of a rich man to some extent, but I'm also used to walking around in jeans.’
I decided not to try to elevate myself.
The public might like or dislike who I am now, but I wasn't going to live like a celebrity, and it wouldn't change my life.
And it's not like I was planning to run a crypto scam.
I spoke honestly, just as I was, in front of the camera.
“Source Coin is for utilizing the spare resources of personal computers.”
“For free?”
“No, it's not. We will distribute Source Coin based on the computer's performance and usage time.”
I explained the principle behind Source Coin in front of the camera.
It reminded me of my days in technical sales, selling surgical equipment to doctors. I received a lot of training back then.
I even went out of my way to find and memorize related materials.
Those experiences were helpful as I explained things during filming.
“The company will exchange one Source Coin for a value of one dollar.”
As we filmed, I could feel that my own attitude was confident.
It was all my own money.
I owned 100% of Earth Resource's stock and would be exchanging Source Coin with my own money, so what could be the problem?
The initial capital when I founded the company was one million dollars.
The cost of recruiting employees and beginning research and development.
The business was showing results quickly, and my investment experience had accumulated over time.
Companies investing in the Series A funding round valued Earth Resource at over ten million dollars.
‘In Silicon Valley, money flows in if you show even a little potential.’
In Korea, with its smaller market size, there was a limit to how much a company could grow in one or two years, but in the U.S., it could grow hundreds of times over.
There was an overwhelming advantage in technology, talent, capital, and market size.
* * *
“Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be a scam.”
“I know, right.”
During a break after filming, Producer Seong Ho-jin talked with the writer and the cameraman.
Until now, they hadn't known much about Kim Shin themselves.
They only knew that he was a former pharmaceutical company employee who had made a fortune through crypto and investments.
“He's very bold in how he pushes his business forward.”
“He gets along well with his employees, and he seems frugal and diligent, too.”
“Writer Kim, you're usually so stingy with compliments. Isn't that a bit much?”
“You saw him getting into the car with his bodyguards, wearing just jeans and a white T-shirt. How could I not be charmed?”
“The footage did look pretty cool. Still...”
“Don't worry. I know my place. I'm not going to get any ideas about a guy that far out of my league.”
Seong Ho-jin thought that Kim Shin could become quite popular if the show aired.
A billionaire doing business in Silicon Valley.
And to think he had been investing in the coronavirus from so early on...
“He's been investing for two years? Biolife. I've never heard of this company.”
“Producer, we should look into that as well.”
“I'll have to ask our colleagues back in Korea to handle that.”
* * *
I got used to life with a mic clipped to my clothes and a camera following me around in just two days.
Even while Source Coin was being completed, I had to meet with many people.
Meetings with people who could help with startup investments in Silicon Valley or my business.
“I'm Bill Casper. I run a small film studio.”
“My name is Kim Shin. I also run a small production company in Korea.”
“Then these people are...”
“They're from a Korean production company, here to film me.”
After starting my business and meeting people, I had more and more to talk about.
I listened carefully to others' opinions to see if there was anything helpful, acquiring information and knowledge.
While filming every day like that, I checked the stock market conditions on my phone.
Although I had funds invested in the Korean stock market, I mainly watched the New York Stock Exchange.
“You seem to trade stocks a lot.”
I answered Seong Ho-jin's question lightly.
“I do trade stocks, but right now I've bought March puts. I make money if the stock price falls.”
“How much did you invest?”
“Two hundred million dollars. With the coronavirus being so severe in China and Korea, I thought the New York Stock Exchange could see a major drop.”
It was just a simple question and answer, but the camera was filming the entire scene.
Two hundred million dollars was a huge amount of money back then, and it's still a huge amount now.
If the scene of me losing all this money on put options were broadcast, wouldn't I be flooded with criticism for being a stupid, nouveau riche fool?
‘If I lose, I'll have to ask them to edit it out.’
It was an answer I gave with a slight worry, but the next day, the New York Stock Exchange began a historic crash.
It was the result of a large-scale outbreak of coronavirus cases with unknown transmission routes within the United States.