World's Richest Man: I Leaped Across Time

Zennström was someone who was going to make history.

In 2005, eBay would acquire Skype for $2.6 billion, and in 2011 Microsoft would buy it from them for over $8 billion.

'It's worth getting interested in,' I thought.

I listened to his lecture, even though I didn't understand much...

When the lecture finally finished, I made my way over to Niklas. He was still talking to a few students, but I waited patiently until he was free.

Once I had my chance, I stepped forward.

"Mr. Zennström, It's a pleasure to meet you," I began, extending my hand. "I'm Jack Somnus, an investment manager for Immortal Investments. I was wondering if you'd have some time to grab a coffee? My treat."

He shook my hand, a bit surprised but polite. "I wouldn't mind that, but... I was actually supposed to meet with some of the professors here," he replied.

"I understand," I said quickly, "but I can wait. I'd really like to meet with you afterward. I'm really interested in your new project."

"Skype?"

"Yes," I nodded.

He looked into my eyes suspiciously. "What are you planning? You want to buy us out? If that's the case, then I'm sorry, but we won't sell ourselves short. We are not in the same situation as we were with Kazaa."

"I'll be honest, my higher-ups were indeed interested in a buyout; after all, we didn't want such an amazing opportunity to slip by our nose. However, that's not what I wanted to propose. I promise you won't regret it." I mixed lies with truth to sound genuine.

Niklas looked at me thoughtfully, then checked his watch. "Alright, I'll give you ten minutes after my meeting. But why wait for me? Can't we just arrange a meeting?"

I lowered my voice to convey just how serious I was. "Mr. Zennström, I could wait, sure, but this is something I'm genuinely excited about. I've been thinking about this idea nonstop, and I believe in it that much, and I think you will too. That's why I can't just arrange a meeting. I want to share it with you as soon as possible."

Niklas studied me for a moment, reading the intensity in my eyes. Finally, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Alright, you've got my attention. I'll see you after the meeting," he said and then stepped off of the podium before turning back to me once again. "Also, please, call me Niklas."

...

I was waiting on the first floor of the building for the group of professors and guests to finish their private meeting; it took longer than I thought. I sat there for more than an hour.Finally, I saw people coming down the stairs.Niklas was a head taller than most. He saw me and gave me a nod.

I walked up to him as he broke away from the group. "Niklas," I said with a smile. "Do you know the area well?"

"I do, actually. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if there are any nice cafes around."

He laughed. "You're the one inviting me. Shouldn't you know where we're going?" he smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Well… this way," he gestured with a slight tilt of his head as he led the way out of the building.

We walked along the sidewalk; the streets weren't as busy as they were in the morning.

Niklas glanced at me as we walked. "So, what is this idea you could not stop thinking about?"

This was my moment. "Niklas, I think you should never even consider selling Skype," I started, my voice sure. "I believe that with the right development and the right innovation, Skype could become a giant in the telecommunications industry. Niklas, you made Skype so that it would allow for affordable video calls, and that's incredible.

But honestly, I think you're restricting yourself too much with that focus."

Niklas looked at me, interested but also a bit annoyed with my comment.

"Don't get me wrong," I continued, "what you've built is amazing. But you need to think bigger. Skype could be so much more..."

Before I could finish, Niklas stopped at a door to a small cafe. "Let's grab that coffee," he said, pushing the door open.

We stepped inside. There were a few small tables scattered around, occupied by people quietly chatting or working on their laptops.

We sat down at a table by the window and ordered coffee.

I could tell Niklas was waiting for me to continue, so I didn't waste any time.

"Like I was saying," I resumed, "You need to think beyond just video calls, Niklas. Think of Skype as a place where people don't just talk and that's it—they work together, share, create groups. They interact through calls, text, images, video, all integrated seamlessly. All in one place. "

Niklas was listening intently now.

The barista brought over our drinks. "Thank you," I said, taking a sip.

Niklas was quiet for a moment, clearly think about what I'd said. Finally, he looked at me curiously. "You've got a lot of ideas. I'll give you that. But why are you telling me all this? You don't have a part in Skype in any way.

You're just giving up ideas like this? I'm not going to lie; that's a bit unwise of you."

"Sir... If I could split myself in two, I would've long used my ideas to create as many projects as possible," I said, my voice steady and sincere. "But I'm already working on one software project, and I'm also heavily invested in Google, assisting them, helping them grow. The reality is that there's only so much I can do on my own."

Niklas raised an eyebrow; maybe because he was interested in the software project I talked about, or maybe because I mentioned Google.

"That's why I, as well as Immortal Investments, want to invest in your project," I continued. "Let us in, and we will help you make Skype the next big thing. The go-to place for everything."

Niklas leaned back, crossing his arms. "You make an interesting proposition... but we've already received buyout offers over $100 million, and we've only been online for a month. What could Immortal Investments offer us?"

I didn't miss a beat. "Niklas, selling Skype now would be a mistake." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a sleek, black business card with the Immortal Investments logo embossed in silver.

I handed it to him, locking eyes with him as I spoke. "We're ready to invest $40 million, shared between me and Immortal Investments. This investment would allow us to expand the infrastructure of Skype's servers and enable users to create channels where they could collaborate."

Niklas examined the card; but he remained cautious.

"I will give you ideas for architecture and design," I said confidently. "I'll also outline the business model. On top of that, I'm ready to provide personnel assistance through a collaboration between Skype and my company, PlayTube."

'All I needed to do was remember how Discord worked and make Skype the new Discord. When Discord Inc. went public in 2027, it was evaluated at $89 billion... they really set a good example to follow.' I thought.

Niklas nodded, clearly impressed, but he wasn't about to give in easily. "Alright, but what kind of share are you expecting for this investment?"

"Fifty percent of the equity."