Neil Mehta

And so somewhere in that presentation were penetration curves of cloud and penetration curves of mobile and how there's 10 to 15 plus years opportunity here. There's nothing about AI. There's a little bit about FinTech, what we were seeing in China on FinTech and how that might be irrelevant for other parts of the world. I think Brazil and India and Europe were in there in that context.

And so somewhere in that presentation were penetration curves of cloud and penetration curves of mobile and how there's 10 to 15 plus years opportunity here. There's nothing about AI. There's a little bit about FinTech, what we were seeing in China on FinTech and how that might be irrelevant for other parts of the world. I think Brazil and India and Europe were in there in that context.

But it was really across consumer internet fintech and application infrastructure software and the opportunity to build new platforms that would become future S&P 500 companies. Is it true at that time that you deleted your personal email? Yes. I do not, to this day, have a personal email, which probably is a compliance issue somewhere. But yes, I just have a Green Oaks email.

But it was really across consumer internet fintech and application infrastructure software and the opportunity to build new platforms that would become future S&P 500 companies. Is it true at that time that you deleted your personal email? Yes. I do not, to this day, have a personal email, which probably is a compliance issue somewhere. But yes, I just have a Green Oaks email.

I really felt at the time, and I feel this today, that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was lucky enough to figure it out pretty early and nothing was going to stop me from doing it.

I really felt at the time, and I feel this today, that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was lucky enough to figure it out pretty early and nothing was going to stop me from doing it.

So I was at a Kane Anderson in LA buying software companies and I had a great mentor. And I think about him as a great boss named Adam Fisher, who was at D.E. Shaw. He ran a small group there, which was financed by a parent company called OPG. It's in New York. And then I moved out to Hong Kong. And when I got out to Hong Kong, this is like 2007. And you moved there on a whim.

So I was at a Kane Anderson in LA buying software companies and I had a great mentor. And I think about him as a great boss named Adam Fisher, who was at D.E. Shaw. He ran a small group there, which was financed by a parent company called OPG. It's in New York. And then I moved out to Hong Kong. And when I got out to Hong Kong, this is like 2007. And you moved there on a whim.

I moved there on a whim. This is a great story. Adam called me and he's like, hey, you know, I want you to come join me. I was like, great. You know, I'm happy to do it. Wrapping up here, probably another six months and we can start to talk about it. He said, no, no, I mean Monday.

I moved there on a whim. This is a great story. Adam called me and he's like, hey, you know, I want you to come join me. I was like, great. You know, I'm happy to do it. Wrapping up here, probably another six months and we can start to talk about it. He said, no, no, I mean Monday.

And I was like, well, I probably need to figure it all out, but I guess I could just be in the office in New York on Monday. He's like, well, I need you out in Hong Kong on Monday. And I was like, wow, that's fast. And I got out there and it was like, we were looking for office space. It was not well organized. We were figuring it all out from scratch. And it was an amazing time to be out there.

And I was like, well, I probably need to figure it all out, but I guess I could just be in the office in New York on Monday. He's like, well, I need you out in Hong Kong on Monday. And I was like, wow, that's fast. And I got out there and it was like, we were looking for office space. It was not well organized. We were figuring it all out from scratch. And it was an amazing time to be out there.

And at 24 or something like that, to be out there was amazing. It was an incredible experience. And China was taking off. I spent my time doing all sorts. It was a special situations group. So I actually spent none of my time on internet companies. I spent all my time looking at Macau real estate, Chinese real estate, India real estate, distressed debt came later.

And at 24 or something like that, to be out there was amazing. It was an incredible experience. And China was taking off. I spent my time doing all sorts. It was a special situations group. So I actually spent none of my time on internet companies. I spent all my time looking at Macau real estate, Chinese real estate, India real estate, distressed debt came later.

I'll give the most favorable interpretation. If Adam was sitting here, he would describe it as, I was a benevolent but negligent boss. And I let Neil go spend time on things that were interesting to him at the cost of spending time on things that were important to me. I'm very grateful to this day for him allowing me to do that. I remember going out to Guangzhou to look at real estate.

I'll give the most favorable interpretation. If Adam was sitting here, he would describe it as, I was a benevolent but negligent boss. And I let Neil go spend time on things that were interesting to him at the cost of spending time on things that were important to me. I'm very grateful to this day for him allowing me to do that. I remember going out to Guangzhou to look at real estate.

It's like 2007. And I get out there. Guangzhou was nothing at the time. It was a couple of buildings. There's no Google Maps out there at the time. So you'd land and say, hey, I have to go through this apartment building. I have to look potentially buying this new high-rise apartment building that's just coming up. Built by a spec developer. I get to buy it and then rent it out.

It's like 2007. And I get out there. Guangzhou was nothing at the time. It was a couple of buildings. There's no Google Maps out there at the time. So you'd land and say, hey, I have to go through this apartment building. I have to look potentially buying this new high-rise apartment building that's just coming up. Built by a spec developer. I get to buy it and then rent it out.

The yields might be in the 12 to 15 range. Pretty good yields. Get out there. Nobody would know how to get to this apartment building because the road didn't exist six months ago. So you'd have to pay some guy on a motorcycle to take you out there. They'd take you out there to the high rise. You'd sit down in a chair and they'd auction off the apartment building.

The yields might be in the 12 to 15 range. Pretty good yields. Get out there. Nobody would know how to get to this apartment building because the road didn't exist six months ago. So you'd have to pay some guy on a motorcycle to take you out there. They'd take you out there to the high rise. You'd sit down in a chair and they'd auction off the apartment building.