The Future Is Yours: A Novel
Page 17
Approved By:
Ben Boyce, CEO
EMAIL
From: Paolo Ventrini
To: Ben Boyce, Adhvan Chaudry
Well boys, I hope you’re happy. With your little Succession antics, you just flushed a billion dollars down the toilet and alienated your entire executive team. And if you think Alphabet will simply lie down and let this go, you haven’t been around like I have.
I and the other Board Members (and honestly all of your stock-option employees) have cause to sue you. Ben, you may have insulated yourself from direct action, but we are asking you to voluntarily step down from the CEO position at the next Board Meeting, or we will consider legal action against you.
REPLY
From: Ben Boyce
To: Paolo Ventrini, Adhvan Chaudry
Hey Paolo, I appreciate your warnings and such, but honestly we grew up on a different HBO show, and it’s Omar that said it best: “You come at the king, you best not miss.”
You missed your shot bro! Now, you’re still in position to get filthy fucking rich, so just lay back and wait to reap the benefits while we do the work.
REPLY
From: Adhvan Chaudry
To: Ben Boyce
B—
Quoting The Wire was a little cheesy.
But also…awesome.
I know this whole thing could’ve gone a different way.
I know it’s hard to walk away from the quick money.
Thank you for trusting me and getting my back on this.
—A
REPLY
You got it man. Benny-Boy teamin up with Dr. Dark! An immortal alliance! See ya on Monday, we still got a lot to do.
EXCERPT FROM CONGRESSIONAL HEARING—DECEMBER 1, 2021
SEN. KAREN WILSON (D-NV): Mr. Boyce, who is “Dr. Dark”?
BOYCE: That was…that’s not a real person. I mean, it’s Adhi, but…OK, when we were first getting to know each other, Adhi told me how kids used to make fun of him in high school, and they called him Dr. Dork. Glasses, comic books, computers, it wasn’t that clever. But I told him, we’re the generation where dorks run the world, and he shouldn’t shy away from it. So we tweaked it a little and it became more like a positive, and he used it for his handle when we were gaming.
SEN. KAREN WILSON (D-NV): And you were “Benny-Boy”?
BOYCE: Yeah, I used that for mine, and it became this inside joke, where we talked about turning ourselves into superheroes and writing a comic book. We even took a crack at actually making it a couple times in college, just for fun, but we never got real serious about it.
So then after the whole situation with Paolo trying to kick Adhi off the board, Adhi gave me a little gift, to say thanks for having his back. He paid an artist to make a comic-book cover, for issue number one of The Adventures of Benny-Boy and Dr. Dark. I was really touched. It came out looking great and we put it up on the wall of the office.
SEN. KAREN WILSON (D-NV): I may not be a comic-book expert, but don’t you think the name Dr. Dark sounds a bit more like…a villain?
BOYCE: I mean, sure. But like I said, it was just meant as a joke.
SEN. KAREN WILSON (D-NV): I’m sure it was hilarious. But now we are here evaluating whether or not the technology he created poses a serious threat to the future of our civilization. Don’t you think a more apt title might have been Benny-Boy Versus Dr. Dark?
BOYCE: You’re reading into this way too much. I never saw Adhi as a villain, and he didn’t see me…Well, you’ll have to ask him how he sees me sometime. But yeah, sure, the pressures of a startup…I guess the way things ended up, maybe it was more of a “versus” situation.
CHAPTER 14
CEO BEN BOYCE’S SPEECH AT THE FUTURE 2021 FOURTH OF JULY PARTY—JULY 4, 2021
Hey hey Futurinos! Futuramas! What should we call ourselves?
(Riff, see if anyone has suggestions)
Everybody having a good time tonight?
(Leave space for applause)
I just wanted to take a minute to say a few words to you all. Our employees. The future of The Future.
We’ve grown from just me and Adhi to eighty-five employees, in the past six months alone. How ’bout that? I don’t know all of your names yet, but I’m working on it. I am thankful for your commitment.
I know that we lost some good folks recently. The startup game isn’t for everybody. But I’m confident that those who stuck around are in it for the long haul, and I promise, your loyalty will be rewarded.
Now, I’m sure you’re all aware, we keep a pretty tight lid on security around here. We can’t be sharing data from the Prototype too freely, until we’re in a position for everyone to have free and equal access. But I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you all a couple snippets from next year. ’Cause 2022 is when we’re coming to market, and it’s gonna be big.
First off, I’ll just take this opportunity to invite you all to NEXT YEAR’S Fourth of July party. And if you think this year’s off the hook, check out this invite, which I just pulled from the Prototype earlier today—
(Wait for slide projection)
Looks pretty fuckin sweet, right? And I’m taking requests on what carnival rides we get. Gravitron for sure. So you know we’re still gonna be here next year, doing well enough to book Sia, partying harder than ever.
Now, real talk, I know some of you have questioned the decision to rebuff the offer from Alphabet. You’re looking at your shares, and saying Come on, Ben, I could’ve paid off my student loans!
I totally hear that. But this company isn’t called The Future by accident. We’re in it for the long haul. And there is money to be made here that is WAY beyond getting out of debt. That’s more in the realm of “name a library wing at your university.”
So to thank you all for sticking with the team, I am giving everyone in the company an additional 100 shares of equity. When those shares vest, and when we go public at a price of $144—which we know will happen—the value of those 100 shares will be almost fifteen grand, and only going up more over time.
And what we’re doing here, it’s not limited to getting rich. We are going to be active participants in the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit—an international conference convened specifically to look at how data from The Future 1 machines can be used to positively impact climate studies and public policy.
On top of that, we’re going to form a partnership with the CDC, to identify, prevent, and manage disease outbreaks. Thousands of lives can be saved by this technology. By getting it into the right hands. By getting it into everybody’s hands.
But none of that will be possible if we cave to the pressure of the obstacles we’re facing, and sell out to the Big Tech powers that be. So before we launch the fireworks, I would just leave you all with the words of President Thomas J. Whitmore, aka Bill Pullman, at the climax of my favorite movie of all time:
“We cannot be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today…we celebrate OUR Independence Day!”
WEB ARTICLE FROM THEINFORMATION.COM
STARTUP FOURTH OF JULY PARTY ENDS IN PUNCH-OUT
July 5, 2021
Red-hot startup The Future threw the Valley’s most ridiculous party of the summer, and the fireworks weren’t limited to the planned ones in the sky over the Bay, as the co-founders traded blows in a drunken rage.
The outdoor venue was extravagantly decorated in homage to the ’90s movie Independence Day, with replicas of aliens and flying saucers from the film, and a large White House cake that CEO Ben Boyce cut.
The party was a transparent attempt to rally employees and investors after founder Ben Boyce publicly (and preemptively) rejected the possibility of a sizable buyout from Alphabet, which would have been a windfall for everyone involved.
By all accounts, it was a boozy night for all, and many reported that the co-founders seemed like the old friends they are known to be. But late in the evening, approximately 1 a.m., an argument erupted between them, which culminated in a full-on fistfight. Employees had to separate the two, who both declined to file charges.
Reports differ on the reason for the tiff, but my most reliable source says it was more personal in nature than professional. Will keep you all posted as I learn more about this embarrassing Silicon Scandal.
TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE
LEILA KEENER-BOYCE
July 5, 2021 1:13 PM
Hey A. You there? What the hell happened at the party???
When I left it looked like you and Ben were totally buddy-buddy, then I find out two hours later you’re attacking him. Alcohol or not, that’s not you.
ADHVAN CHAUDRY
Hey Lei.
Ask Ben.
It’s really for him to tell.
I wouldn’t be reaching out if not for the fact that he’s being vague and won’t talk about it. I’m spinning out and need to know what’s going on here.
Sorry but it’s not my place to say.
I genuinely hope he’ll do the right thing here.
But it has to come from him not me.
Come on Adhi please. We’re friends.
Yes exactly. I am honestly trying to be your friend.
And his too.
You two don’t exactly make it easy.
EMAIL
From: Carrie Chan
To: Ben Boyce, Adhvan Chaudry
Hey Guys,
Congratulations on throwing the most expensive party in Silicon Valley history! I’m not talking about the millions you put down to make it happen. I’m talking about the loss in value in the wake of that debacle.
Do you realize when Elon smoked weed on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Tesla lost $5B in market cap? They eventually made up much of that, bc they are a real working company with sales. As of right now, you are not. You are a privately traded pipe dream. Until we are in the black, the main product you are selling is your STORY. And after whatever happened at that party, we need to do something to drastically change the narrative here.
I’ve got a close contact from when I was doing PR who owes me a favor, and she’s at Wired now. I’ve arranged for her to do a profile on you guys. It’s going to be less focused on the tech, more so on the personal story of you and your friendship (yes, your friendship, believe me it is crucial that we tell THAT story, even if it is hard right now).
Thing is, we need to give her something exclusive. Namely, hands-on use of the Prototype. Supervised, of course, but real, eyes-on proof that it works. I’ll have Legal put together an ironclad NDA. Trust me, this will go a long way toward restoring credibility. My assistant will coordinate details once we’re all agreed.
Carrie
REPLY
From: Ben Boyce
To: Carrie Chan
Adhi and I had a bit of a blow-up and we’re not really talking right now, but I’m down for the article. It’s a good idea, and it’s gonna be a good piece (I’ve already read it, in fact, and so has Leila). Don’t worry, I know how to play nice with a journalist.
REPLY
From: Adhvan Chaudry
To: Carrie Chan
C—
I get the impression this will happen whether I want it or not.
Ben would never say no to a chance at the limelight.
I’d rather participate than not, so there might be some shred of scientific credibility in play.
In return for my cooperation, I ask only one favor.
Steer clear of Ben.
I saw what happened at the party, and I don’t need to ask to know there’s more going on there.
Don’t make Leila a fool.
—A
REPLY
Thanks for your reply Adhvan. I’ll set it up. I think you’ll like Fiona.
As for your request? Ben is a grown-up. So am I. Stop worrying about the personal lives of your coworkers, and try having one of your own.
—Carrie
EMAIL—JULY 12, 2021
From: Carrie Chan
To: Fiona Glazer
Hey Fiona,
Read your draft of the story. People are definitely going to be excited about this exclusive. All in all, I think it does a great job of painting a real and human portrait of the guys.
I have one concern, which is the two-paragraph section where you talk about the rumors that have been out there about their personal lives, the party, all that. I happen to know that much of it is untrue, and all of it is unverified. On top of that, it’s salacious gossip, and frankly that kind of soap opera is beneath your standards. How about we just cut that little section before we publish. Thanks so much!
REPLY
Carrie,
I appreciate the exclusive. But this is, in the end, a piece of journalism. And while I’m not trying to gossip-monger here, I think that the personal/human story is important, since it potentially impacts the technology, and the structure of the company bringing it into the world.
To be clear, I have chosen to leave your name out of the article, even though it certainly did come up with some of the employees I spoke to, who were definitely speculating about the nature of your relationship with one of the co-founders. I’ll keep that to myself, but with respect to the part about these two college-bro buds, let’s not pretend they’re saints here.
REPLY
Hi Fiona,
Bit of a low blow there, but I should not be surprised. With respect to the personal-life material you’re referring to, I would refer you back to your NDA. And based on what you have seen of the capabilities of our technology, do you really want to get into a legal battle with us, when the outcome is uncertain (for you)?
REPLY
This is spilling into overt intimidation. I’m going to report this to my editor, Mark, and will discontinue contact if it persists.
EMAIL
From: Carrie Chan
To: Ben Boyce
Hey…We have a situation regarding the article. Fiona is getting all high-and-mighty about journalism, and using this exclusive as a chance for a scandalous scoop. Also it appears there are plenty of employees in your office who are more than eager to mouth off about you and me, and I have good reason to believe Adhi is one of them.
We need leverage to be able to motivate Fiona toward a more favorable portrayal. Otherwise we are both going to come off looking pretty awful, and the company is fucked PR-wise. So maybe get off your high horse about how you use your technology.
REPLY
Damn. OK. Yeah, I can probably find something using the Prototype. Meet me at the office tonight. Need to do this after Adhi leaves or he’ll flip out. 9 PM should be safe.
EMAIL—JULY 13, 2021
From: Carrie Chan
To: Mark Santoro
Hi Mark. I’m sure Fiona has talked to you about the story she’s doing on The Future. As you can probably imagine, use of the technology has a tendency to bring up personal information that could be sensitive if it were released into the public sphere.
Just as an example: it’s easy using the Prototype to find out about your son’s arrest for DUI next summer, right before the start of his freshman year at Brown (see the attached). But if that came out now, it could wreck his chances of even getting in. Hardly seems fair, right?
Surely we can a
ll agree that the story ought to respect boundaries of the personal lives of those involved. For all of our sakes, please have a word with Fiona about this.
Thanks,
Carrie
EMAIL
From: Fiona Glazer
To: Carrie Chan
Carrie,
Talked to my editor. Not sure what you said to him, but I’m not interested in losing my job over this, so fine, he’s going to press with the story, minus those two paragraphs. I hope they are paying you well over there bc this is some Enron-level bullshit. Lose my number.
Fiona
CHAPTER 15
DISTRICT COURT OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
July 22, 2021
Case no: 482694-203
Alphabet, Inc.,
Plaintiff
COMPLAINT
Vs.
The Future, LLC,
Adhvan Chaudry
Benjamin Boyce
Defendants
Plaintiff Alphabet, Inc., by and through their undersigned attorneys, bring this complaint against Defendants, alleging that—
1. Defendant Adhvan Chaudry was an employee of Google, Inc., a subsidiary of Alphabet, working under willfully agreed-upon Employment Contract (Exhibit A), for the period of October 2020–January 2021.