Back in 2005, it was decided that the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California needed some sprucing up. It needed a paint job of some sort, but not something bland and corporate. No, something fun, colorful, and interesting. As such, Facebook hired graffiti artist David Choe and commissioned a few stupid dope burners, offering him a choice of payment upon their completion: He could either take a few grand, or some stock. You can probably guess which choice he made.
While The Sun reports that Choe thought Facebook’s concept was “ridiculous and pointless” at the time, Choe apparently felt the urge to gamble a little bit, and it sure has paid off. With the Facebook IPO, he’s expected to suddenly be worth around $200 million. Not bad pay for a single gig, right?
Of course, Choe’s not the only one who’s slated to become a millionaire over night. At least 1,000 Facebook employees are said to hold enough stock to make that happen, and I just bought a bunch of lottery tickets this morning, so who knows? In any event, Choe’s gain in particular is probably the most mind-blowing considering his tangential connection with the whole Facebook machine. He’s lucky he made the right choice; I’m not sure it’s even possible to kick yourself hard enough for passing up a chance like that. Choe hasn’t commented on whether he sold any of his stake, but I like to think he forgot he even had it until the reporters started calling. It just adds to the fantasy. Now, someone find me a penny; I need to start working my way through this stack of scratch-offs.
(Via The Sun, Image via The New York Times)
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