PayPal Mafia

Don't know who coined this label, but when Erik and I heard it used in a podcast that was interviewing Max, we chuckled :) It conjured up images of Max shuffling around in a Tony Soprano bath robe, smoking a cigar, and paranoid of being attacked by dairy products (Max is lactose-intolerant) *HAHAHAHAHA* I remember when Max was highlighted on a Details issue of I think "the most influential people under 30" many moons ago, and we would rib him about it -- he was ranked in between Ben Affleck and P. Diddy, so J.Lo jumped right over him *teeheehee*

The PayPal family is indeed a vast network of friends who have come to rely on each other. They represent the best of my generation (Generation X, as some media folks refer to), and not only carry with them the spirit of innovation, but also a sense of friendship that is rooted in knowing where you came from. Max and his merry band of college and high school friends came to Silicon Valley at the right time, before the "dot com" bubble burst...

PayPalians have infiltrated some of the most innovative start-ups. Below is a picture I drew up of what I know of the PayPal universe (there are some outfits which are in "stealth mode" and therefore not shown *hehe*)