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Vishu Bheda
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Medial • 3h
Day 1 of The Startup Mafia Series: How 1 Startup Created 10 Billionaires The startup world loves a good myth—the lone genius who hustles in a garage, builds something incredible, and becomes a billionaire. Sounds inspiring. Too bad that’s not how it really works. Look at the PayPal Mafia. In the late ‘90s, a group of young, ambitious men built PayPal. When eBay acquired it for $1.5 billion, they didn’t just cash out. They took over. This wasn’t just one successful startup—it was the launchpad for an empire. Elon Musk → Tesla, SpaceX, OpenAI Reid Hoffman → LinkedIn Peter Thiel → Palantir, Facebook’s first investor Jawed Karim → YouTube Jeremy Stoppelman → Yelp Each of these companies shaped the modern internet. But here’s the real secret: They didn’t do it alone. They had a system. When one of them launched a company, the others funded it. When they needed media attention, the others made the calls. When they wanted investors, the others opened doors. While unknown founders struggled to raise $100K, they had millions ready. While outsiders begged for press, their stories were already written. This is the real game of startups. It’s not just about talent. It’s about access. But here’s the bigger question: If the PayPal Mafia dominated the 2000s, who controls today’s startup world? There are new “mafias” shaping the future—tight-knit groups of founders, investors, and insiders who help each other win while outsiders struggle. Tomorrow, we’ll expose one of the most powerful ones: Why YC founders have an unfair advantage—and how the startup game is played before you even launch. Follow now. You won’t see these truths anywhere else.
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