The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. -The Social Network

With the Facebook movie, The Social Network all the rage, I thought I would share the book behind the movie. If the movie interested you and made you want to learn more, or if you just like a “true story” with a scandalous twist…I recommend The Accidental Billionaires. This book is by author Ben Mezrich, he also wrote Bringing Down the House which was later adapted into the movie 21. It’s a quick read that leaves out the technical aspect of the Facebook phenomenon in favor of the cut-throat dog-eat-dog mentality of the founders. I’ve watched founder and current CEO Mark Zuckerberg in many interviews – from Nightline to Oprah – and while he says over and over that the stories in the movie are not true, I don’t believe him. I just get this feeling when I look at the guy. I’m not faulting the guy – sometimes in business you have to make ugly decisions. I bet Buffett, Jobs and Gates have done people wrong too. But, maybe some of the less than charitable actions displayed in the book and film are why he is now donating extraordinary amounts to charity, etc. What do you think? Either way, it’s fun to analyze and wonder…