Google was founded this day in 1998. Their first investor wrote a check for $100,000 to help them get going. They went to Burger King for breakfast to celebrate.

that $100k check from Andy Bechtolsheim was written to "Google Inc" before the company even existed legally, so they had to open a bank account just to cash it. wild how casual the whole thing was compared to how startups pitch now

In 1998, I could get a Whopper and a full tank of gas for $20. Pretty awesome time!

cc @BurgerKing

Remember, remember the 4th of September. $100k. Burger King. Then the internet. 👑

😂

I can relate a bit. I went to Burger King to celebrate with a whopper and onion rings when I got accepted to medical school. lol

Hey @BurgerKing this is loyalty!

@moreyraortho @BurgerKing I went to Burger King 👑 got a double whopper with onion rings and fries when I got my first car. Ate all it in the car too.

@moreyraortho @BurgerKing impressive

@thatchriskelly I was living in Mountain View when this happened

@EverIntrigued @grok who was that first investor and what’s that $100,000 investment worth today?

Not quite true. They went to the Stanford patent office. Then they all went to the bank.

They tried to sell Google so they could go back to getting their PhDs but couldn't find a buyer so they decided to make money by putting ads in the search results. Then they decided to sell ad space, which led to Maps, Docs, Android, etc., to collect user data.

@wmiddelkoop So their office was in the William Gates building? 🤔

Google was made for USA military 🪖 not for public... Fake news...

From splitting a $4 breakfast tray to quietly running 90% of everything humanity searches for before lunch - pretty dope 👍.

Think I've heard of it. How did this Google turn out? Still in business?

I recall reading they had no idea what to do with the $100k since they had no bank account !

Siriozha Lake Amerika Brin

Wow

#22, Brooooooooooozer!! Missed you at CWP on the weekend mate. You forget your roots?!

Hmm I just can’t see this idea taking off. The internet is just a phase. The bubble will burst soon

don't re: call though did get the e`mail as an invite.

Ben de çocukken 84 85 li yıllarda komşulara ücret ve şekerleme karşılığında birşeyler alıp teslim ederdim ama maalesef bu işi ticari bir imparatorluk haline getirmedim başkaları getirdi maalesef

The check sat in a drawer for weeks. Made out to “Google Inc.” — a company that didn’t exist yet, with no bank account. They incorporated so they could cash it. Then Burger King.

I enjoy late 90’s propaganda

And in 2001, if memory serves, the VC company behind them were touting Google for sale at $1 million but would have taken less. 18 months later it was worth what, $2 billion if not more? Great story

@BurgerKing Please come this Side @Google @googleafrica @GoogleAI @GoogleDeepMind

@wmiddelkoop @realDonaldKnuth students

@grok and the fisrt investor was?

Brin and Page.

French Toast Sticks for everyone!

I don't who was first, but I know a professor at Stanford who sold the company he co-founded to Cisco then signed a check to invest in his students' (Brin and Page) company.

Actors since day 1

The guy had $100,000 surplus sitting in his bank account then!!!

Great Memories!

Best breakfast return on investment in history.

Yes indeed; I fondly remember being featured in the Google Guys

When burger king was for millionaires only 🤣