HARVARD
Crimson -- Feb 26 -- They wanted to make a website that would connect
the Harvard campus with $1k startup money. They didn't anticipate
meeting the CEOs of Friendster and Google---or that they would take time
off Harvard to share a house in Silicon Valley with the co-founder of
Napster, Sean Parker. TheFacebook.comserves 1.5 million. Zuckerberg estimates he's been to 40 meals with
interested VC's and other companies, like Google, to discuss
investment. Advertising income exceeds their operating costs; $50k
monthly server costs and salaries for eight employees. "We're in a
really interesting place because if you look at the assets we have,
we're fucking rich," says Zuckerberg. "But if you look at like the cash
and the amount of money we have to live with, we're dirt poor." ConnectUfiled suit in September '04 charging that Zuckerberg used their source
code, business model, and original ideas to build TheFaceBook. Normally
investors shy away from companies facing a federal lawsuit, but Peter
Thiel---co-founder of PayPal---was willing to take the risk. FULL ARTICLE @ CRIMSON

Mark Brooks: Peter Thiel, Ram Shriram and Tim Kooglewere the power triage (smart money) involved with Friendster as
Jonathan moved from homespun startup to VC darling. (I worked
with Friendster when Jonathan was working out of his apartment). Ram and Tim are also on Plaxo's board.