I just learned that the owner of my former company, given control of $100M when 21, while he was

still in college, went under financially.

We developed some great technology in the company his father founded.

His father was a fine, if obscenely rich, guy, who, I honestly believe was devoting his fortune to making the world a better place.

His son was no dope, and in fact became a fine surgeon by all accounts, but the son had zero respect for people, and zero people skills. He treated his employees, hard working scientists all, like bugs in a jar, in complete contrast to his old man.

The son played head games with a technology that did a lot of good but still, at the end of the day, could have done so much more good for humanity.

After a long time of getting away with this crap, long after the death of his father, apparently it all caught up with the son, and he's pretty damn near wiped out, from what I hear from a former colleague, who has - to his own regret - remained in a business relationship with the guy.

Mostly life isn't just, but every once in a while, it goes the other way, and people actually get what they deserve.

places he can point the finger of blame except at himself? People like that, over-privilaged arrogant people who are given everything and yet somehow think they earned it, rarely take responsibility and accept that they fucked up.

The first one was married to my best friend's sister.

He became a fairly well known photographer, and a complete coke head junkie.

I think he blew all the money too, having gone through 5 or 6 wives in the process.

The other was French. He showed little or no interest in the company he inherited, sold it, retained the title of company President but made few decisions, and spent his life billing the company for "business trips" that were actually excursions to buy rare books.

Then there was this guy.

In a way, all three of them were intellectually competent, but in another way they were all horribly deformed, missing something.

Those that weren't so fortunate had amazing opportunities drop in their lap and they decided that they would wait for something more grand. These people we all know many are still doing the same thing they were doing 20 years ago.