Ponder this spine-chilling thought: if two geeky Harvard undergrads had gotten enough sex at uni, Facebook may never have happened. Thank you social hierarchy, thank you! Because Facebook rules. Even your gran has it. And while I’m sure she appreciates the profanity-laden status updates and classy post-town Maccas photos, we all know that without Facebook, the world would die. From SARS. Or Mel Gibson. Or reruns of Friends.
The point I’m so elegantly making is that The Accidental Billionaires chronicles the life and times of Eduardo Saverin, a wannabe businessman/social climber who befriends awkward computer genius and future Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg at an underground Jewish fraternity. In and around such exotic locations as said frat, toilet cubicles and Silicon Valley office space, unfolds the conception of Facebook, and its early growth as an Ivy League networking tool. Things start to go awry when Saverin, who fronted the start-up cash they needed to get Facebook off the ground, is systematically worked out of the picture when he prioritises Harvard living over the website. Adding to the complications are the Winklevoss twins, a pair of male Evers-Swindells who sue Zuckerberg for stealing their business idea.
Don’t expect a soul-stripping exposé or accolade-garnering writing here, as the author, Ben Mezrich, relies on Saverin for the majority of the firsthand accounts. Without any input from whizz kid Zuckerberg himself, we’re stuck with Mezrich’s imagined, excessively naff descriptions of what may have possibly, maybe, perhaps have gone down in the guy’s head. Most surprising is the fact that the blurb on the book’s sleeve is better written than most of the ‘non-fiction’ novel, but that said, if you’re blessed with the ability to enjoy narrative intended for the lowest common denominator, there should be enough hot Asian chicks and James Bond references to keep your boat floating.
Author: Ben Mezrich