Bill Perkins

I think it was like 16, 16,000, but I was getting raises very quickly because I made myself valuable and I would work at night. And I would make more money driving the limo on a daily basis because traders would take me here and they'd be drunk and they'd tip you. And you weren't there necessarily for your current income. You were there for your future income.

And so I had another clerk named Jason Ruffo who had a studio in the Upper West Side. And what he did was he put up a wall by the room in the studio. And I eventually got an apartment with him on the Upper West Side, living in like a pizza oven type space. But it was great because I was in New York City, out of my mom's house. I could have girls over.

And so I had another clerk named Jason Ruffo who had a studio in the Upper West Side. And what he did was he put up a wall by the room in the studio. And I eventually got an apartment with him on the Upper West Side, living in like a pizza oven type space. But it was great because I was in New York City, out of my mom's house. I could have girls over.

And that pride that goes, well, I live on the Upper West Side. Everybody wants to say they live in New York City. And so as I was getting raises and kind of moving up, I gradually got into that life of, you know, what I call a buppy, black urban professional, you know, buppies and yuppies. And that was, you know, the beginning of my journey. Tell me, was your dad in the picture at this time?

And that pride that goes, well, I live on the Upper West Side. Everybody wants to say they live in New York City. And so as I was getting raises and kind of moving up, I gradually got into that life of, you know, what I call a buppy, black urban professional, you know, buppies and yuppies. And that was, you know, the beginning of my journey. Tell me, was your dad in the picture at this time?

So my dad is now older in poor health in Jersey City. So during this time, he'd had multiple strokes. And my dad is kind of like me. He's fairly stubborn, but he was stubborn to the extreme. Doctor says, don't do this. All the things you would tell him not to do and you need to be doing. He's like, ah, to hell with that. You know what I mean? I guess. And so he's in the picture.

So my dad is now older in poor health in Jersey City. So during this time, he'd had multiple strokes. And my dad is kind of like me. He's fairly stubborn, but he was stubborn to the extreme. Doctor says, don't do this. All the things you would tell him not to do and you need to be doing. He's like, ah, to hell with that. You know what I mean? I guess. And so he's in the picture.

My parents are divorced. He's in Jersey City. Had your parents gone to college? My dad did. So my dad got a scholarship to the University of Iowa. He was a real badass. He had no intentions of going to school. He walked by a football field when he was a kid in high school. He's like, I want to do that. And coach is like, you don't know anything about football.

My parents are divorced. He's in Jersey City. Had your parents gone to college? My dad did. So my dad got a scholarship to the University of Iowa. He was a real badass. He had no intentions of going to school. He walked by a football field when he was a kid in high school. He's like, I want to do that. And coach is like, you don't know anything about football.

And he says, it seems like it's about hitting people. I know how to hit people. So they gave him some raggedy uniforms. He comes out for a practice. And in the next practice, he has a brand new uniform. He's all everything, gets recruited to go to University of Iowa to go to college. And so there he is in college in 1959 at the University of Iowa, all badass from Jersey City.

And he says, it seems like it's about hitting people. I know how to hit people. So they gave him some raggedy uniforms. He comes out for a practice. And in the next practice, he has a brand new uniform. He's all everything, gets recruited to go to University of Iowa to go to college. And so there he is in college in 1959 at the University of Iowa, all badass from Jersey City.

So he had gone to college. And then my mom went to college. finished college while I think I was like preteen or late teens. But I had the benefit of two college educated parents.

So he had gone to college. And then my mom went to college. finished college while I think I was like preteen or late teens. But I had the benefit of two college educated parents.

They saw it later. I'm the kid that didn't take out the garbage. I always say, don't tell your parents your dreams because they'll just piss on them because they've seen you at your worst, at your failures as you're growing. They have this kind of image of you when you were the caterpillar, not the butterfly.

They saw it later. I'm the kid that didn't take out the garbage. I always say, don't tell your parents your dreams because they'll just piss on them because they've seen you at your worst, at your failures as you're growing. They have this kind of image of you when you were the caterpillar, not the butterfly.

This is what I want to do. No. You know, they started seeing it. I remember the time when I finally made, I got a raise and I was like, I did the calculation. I'm just like, holy shit, I make more money than my mom. Like I've made it. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I'm like, I'm real. I'm legit. I'm a puppy. Me with my badge. You know, I used to wear around as a badge of honor.

This is what I want to do. No. You know, they started seeing it. I remember the time when I finally made, I got a raise and I was like, I did the calculation. I'm just like, holy shit, I make more money than my mom. Like I've made it. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I'm like, I'm real. I'm legit. I'm a puppy. Me with my badge. You know, I used to wear around as a badge of honor.

Like I get onto the New York Mercantile Exchange, etc., But they'd see I'm going out or I'm flying here or I'm doing whatever. And it's like, oh, the kid must be doing okay. It wasn't until I got recruited to go to Houston started buying the assets that adults start buying. And I paid my mom back for something that I did when I was a teenager that she didn't know that they're like, okay.

Like I get onto the New York Mercantile Exchange, etc., But they'd see I'm going out or I'm flying here or I'm doing whatever. And it's like, oh, the kid must be doing okay. It wasn't until I got recruited to go to Houston started buying the assets that adults start buying. And I paid my mom back for something that I did when I was a teenager that she didn't know that they're like, okay.

What was that? When I was younger, I had a stick Toyota that my mom had. It was her car. I was driving it. And my friend Pete Theibel. It's like, I want to drive the car. I want to teach him how to drive the car. I want to drive the car. I'm not supposed to drive the car. So anyway, long story short, he hits a gas instead of a clutch, spins the car out.