Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Combining high-octane storytelling with landmark financial reporting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg gives us the transformative account of how Hollywood cashed in on the latest tech boom-and changed the face of Silicon Valley. Superstars from Ashton Kutcher to Beyonc are turning fame into bankable capital by replacing traditional endorsement deals with stakes in today's top startups long before they're sold for billions or go public. Ushered in by 50 Cent's deal with Vitaminwater, celebrities of all different backgrounds have learned to capitalize on the invaluable benefits of their platform and visibility.
Through exclusive interviews with over 100 founders, funders, and stars-Shaq, Nas, Sophia Bush, Steve Aoki, Tony Gonzalez, and many more-Greenburg offers an up-close look at the rise of celebrity investors and their impact on companies including Airbnb, Spotify, and Uber. A-List Angels is a book about business that reads like a thriller-entertaining, edifying, and not to be missed.
Synopsis
Combining high-octane storytelling with landmark financial reporting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, Zack O'Malley Greenburg delivers a transformative account of how Hollywood cashed in on the latest tech boom while bringing a blast of creativity and diversity to Silicon Valley.
How much is celebrity really worth? In a growing trend, Hollywood's biggest stars from Ashton Kutcher to Beyonc have set out to turn their fame into bankable capital by tossing out traditional endorsement deals in favor of strategic partnerships that grant them a stake in today's top companies. Ushered in by 50 Cent's deal with Vitamin Water -- in which the rapper took equity instead of cash, eventually walking away with a nine-figure haul -- celebrities of all different colors, genders, and talents have learned to capitalize on the invaluable benefits of their platform and visibility.
The ever-evolving, mutually beneficial relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley has led to everything from laughable flops and billion-dollar profits to rock star CEOs and paparazzi-worthy boards of directors. Through extensive reporting and exclusive interviews with stars like Shaq, Nas, Sophia Bush, and Steve Aoki, Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg takes an up-close-and-personal look at the rise of celebrity investors and their impact on companies including AirBnB, Spotify, and Uber.
A-List Angels is a book about business that reads like a thriller: entertaining, edifying, and not to be missed.
Synopsis
How Hollywood cashed in on the latest tech boom-and changed the face of Silicon Valley.
A decade later, Kutcher is perhaps the brightest in a firmament of star investors from Beyonc and Jay-Z to Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Bartering credibility and connections in exchange for early (and often discounted) access to the world's most coveted investment opportunities, this diverse group changed the face of venture capital while amassing portfolios packed with companies like Airbnb, Spotify, and Uber. But how did two once-dissonant universes-Silicon Valley and Hollywood-become intertwined?
Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg told the first chapter of Kutcher's transformation for the magazine's cover story in 2016. Now he offers a lively, page-turning account of how this motley crew of talent managers, venture capitalists, and celebrities helped the creative class forge a brand-new blueprint for generational wealth. Through extensive reporting and exclusive interviews with more than 100 key players-including Shaq, Nas, Joe Montana, Sophia Bush, Steve Aoki, Tony Gonzalez, and dozens of behind-the-scenes power brokers-Greenburg sheds light on the unlikely group that fundamentally transformed the value of fame.
Synopsis
How Hollywood cashed in on the latest tech boom-and changed the face of Silicon Valley.
When Ashton Kutcher first heard about 50 Cent's nine-figure Vitaminwater windfall in 2007, the actor realized he'd been missing out. He soon followed the rapper's formula-seeking equity instead of cash for endorsement deals-but with a twist: as the first person to top 1 million Twitter followers, Kutcher leveraged his social reach to accumulate stakes in a vast range of user-hungry tech startups.
A decade later, Kutcher is perhaps the brightest in a firmament of star investors from Beyonc and Jay-Z to Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Bartering credibility and connections in exchange for early (and often discounted) access to the world's most coveted investment opportunities, this diverse group changed the face of venture capital while amassing portfolios packed with companies like Airbnb, Spotify, and Uber. But how did two once-dissonant universes-Silicon Valley and Hollywood-become intertwined?
Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg told the first chapter of Kutcher's transformation for the magazine's cover story in 2016. Now he offers a lively, page-turning account of how this motley crew of talent managers, venture capitalists, and celebrities helped the creative class forge a brand-new blueprint for generational wealth. Through extensive reporting and exclusive interviews with more than 100 key players-including Shaq, Nas, Joe Montana, Sophia Bush, Steve Aoki, Tony Gonzalez, and dozens of behind-the-scenes power brokers-Greenburg sheds light on the unlikely group that fundamentally transformed the value of fame.