

The one that got away - wallflower
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/the-one-that-got-away/?hp

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lionheart
Not quite the same thing, but there are similar stories in my family...

About a hundred years ago various relatives of mine owned oil fields,
factories, textile mills, and more in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. My great-
grandfather was apparently the first man with a home phone in Kiev.

But then the Russian Revolution happened and all of their property was
confiscated by the Soviet government.

So, if not for that, I'd be very rich right now.

But its okay. I'm planning on getting it all back, myself.

~~~
Hexstream
"So, if not for that, I'd be very rich right now."

Or perhaps not born.

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ghshephard
Spring of 1999 I was kicking it at dinner party/get together with a bunch of
Netscapees sometime after AOL had purchased us for $4B, but prior to them
closing the deal (Final day value of $10B). A lot of the people I worked with
were considering going to work with Omid Kordestani, who had worked under Todd
Rulon Miller/Mike Homer back at Netscape - they were looking for new bodies at
this young company; there was an opportunity for me to dive in. I heard a
pitch for this company, and I knew more than enough to explain to everyone
that not only was the target market fully mature, but that I would be going to
a company where the market was just _starting_ (Oblix - LDAP mgmt) and that
there really was very little left in terms of technology development in the
field of...Search.

So yes, I know that feeling very well. Very well indeed.

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davidw
Supposedly, someone on my mother's side of the family invented those gas
station bells - the one with the hose attached that makes the bell go 'ding'
when you drive over it. And didn't patent it/sold the idea on for 100$ or
something else that looks pretty bad in hindsight.

