Mo Gawdat

And at the time, I was a year out of Google into Google X. So I had worked on the 4 billion strategy. I knew how to get to a billion people, right? So I basically said in my head, I was like, okay, Habibi, consider it done. That's all I heard myself say. And then I come up with this devious plan of I'm going to write the book, which includes everything he told me.

about happiness, and then I'm going to do my own internet gimmicks thing so that I can get to 10 million people. And if I can get to 10 million people, exactly if I calculated correctly, if everyone tells two people who tell two people and so on over 72 years, Ali will be everywhere and part of everyone. That his essence, what he taught me will be everywhere and part of everyone.

about happiness, and then I'm going to do my own internet gimmicks thing so that I can get to 10 million people. And if I can get to 10 million people, exactly if I calculated correctly, if everyone tells two people who tell two people and so on over 72 years, Ali will be everywhere and part of everyone. That his essence, what he taught me will be everywhere and part of everyone.

And so I basically sit down and write. And it was like I was possessed. Really, I would wake up at 3 a.m. in the morning, switch on my Mac and type away and then go back to sleep, forget that I wrote whatever I wrote. And then a week later, I find something on the desktop. So I double click on it and I'm like, oh my God, who wrote this shit? Like, this is good shit. I don't even know that stuff.

And so I basically sit down and write. And it was like I was possessed. Really, I would wake up at 3 a.m. in the morning, switch on my Mac and type away and then go back to sleep, forget that I wrote whatever I wrote. And then a week later, I find something on the desktop. So I double click on it and I'm like, oh my God, who wrote this shit? Like, this is good shit. I don't even know that stuff.

I swear, it was unbelievable. And I was known at Google X to not be the hardest working person. So I always gave myself thinking time. But literally I would sometimes be in a meeting and then five minutes before the meeting ends, I go like, guys, I really have to go. I really have to go and then switch on my Mac in a corner somewhere and type away.

I swear, it was unbelievable. And I was known at Google X to not be the hardest working person. So I always gave myself thinking time. But literally I would sometimes be in a meeting and then five minutes before the meeting ends, I go like, guys, I really have to go. I really have to go and then switch on my Mac in a corner somewhere and type away.

Anyway, and then the world conspired to make it happen. I meet this incredible agent in New York City through a friend of a friend who was going through a tough time at the time. So I sent him a chapter and he goes like, oh, can you send me another chapter? And then I send him another chapter. And I'm like, until I sent him the whole book.

Anyway, and then the world conspired to make it happen. I meet this incredible agent in New York City through a friend of a friend who was going through a tough time at the time. So I sent him a chapter and he goes like, oh, can you send me another chapter? And then I send him another chapter. And I'm like, until I sent him the whole book.

And I'm like, is he going to copy it and put it under his name? But then he basically calls me and says, look, I really want to represent you if that's okay. Are you ever in New York? I said, I'm going to be in New York on January 3rd or something like that. And so literally we meet, we shake hands. He says, look, I really love this book. I say, and I really feel good about this.

And I'm like, is he going to copy it and put it under his name? But then he basically calls me and says, look, I really want to represent you if that's okay. Are you ever in New York? I said, I'm going to be in New York on January 3rd or something like that. And so literally we meet, we shake hands. He says, look, I really love this book. I say, and I really feel good about this.

14 minutes later, he gets me his standard contract. So I sign it on the spot. Don't even read it. And we're still best friends until today. He helps me put the book out in the whole world.

14 minutes later, he gets me his standard contract. So I sign it on the spot. Don't even read it. And we're still best friends until today. He helps me put the book out in the whole world.

It took me four and a half months to finish the book, but the very early version was 640 pages. Also, remember, I was so afraid that my mentor is gone and that I will forget everything I know about happiness at the time I need to remember. So I was frantically trying to organize what I learned. And, you know, it's that very weird mix between his incredibly human heart and

It took me four and a half months to finish the book, but the very early version was 640 pages. Also, remember, I was so afraid that my mentor is gone and that I will forget everything I know about happiness at the time I need to remember. So I was frantically trying to organize what I learned. And, you know, it's that very weird mix between his incredibly human heart and

And my very algorithmic thinking that comes out on those pages in a way that is truly unusual.

And my very algorithmic thinking that comes out on those pages in a way that is truly unusual.

17 days. I started 17 days after he died. And actually, that's the first sentence of the book, 17 days after the death of my wonderful son, Ali, I started to write. What happened then is 10 Million Happy turned out to be a sandbag. And basically, so the book comes out in the UK with Macmillan, in the US with Simon & Schuster.

17 days. I started 17 days after he died. And actually, that's the first sentence of the book, 17 days after the death of my wonderful son, Ali, I started to write. What happened then is 10 Million Happy turned out to be a sandbag. And basically, so the book comes out in the UK with Macmillan, in the US with Simon & Schuster.

And Macmillan, for some reason, managed to get me on a news show in Channel 4. Anyway, some weird events happened and they had to cut the filming and we had to do it again. But then there was a big fly, a big blue fly that walked into the studio while we're filming. And then literally goes and lands on my nose. So the producer goes like, cut, can't do this.