The Profile: Silicon Valley’s most mysterious investor & the six-figure nannies of Palm Beach
The Profile: Silicon Valley’s most mysterious investor & the six-figure nannies of Palm BeachThis edition of The Profile features Neil Mehta, Jeff Hood, Ben Navarro, and Brett Hildebrand, and more.
Good morning, friends! One of my favorite profiles is called “The Mixed-Up Brothers of Bogotá,” which is about two pairs of identical twins who were mixed up in the hospital and ended up getting raised as two pairs of fraternal twins. No one knew a mix up had happened until they were 25 years old. One twin, named Jorge, was working at an engineering firm. One day, his colleague Laura thought she spotted Jorge working at a butcher shop in another part of town. She waved to him and he barely acknowledged her. Though he introduced himself as William, Laura was convinced it was Jorge. Later, when she showed Jorge a picture of this man, he realized William did indeed look just like him — and in a photo, Jorge noticed something even more shocking: William’s brother looked exactly like Jorge’s fraternal twin brother, Carlos. Shock and disbelief. Eventually, they uncovered the truth: two sets of identical twin boys were born in December 1988, but one baby from each pair was accidentally switched. As a result, each set of “twins” grew up thinking they were fraternal, when in fact they were each living with one biological brother and one who was not related by blood. Jorge and Carlos were raised in the urban setting of Bogotá, while William and Wilber grew up in a rural farming region. The four finally met and formed complex emotional bonds, grappling with grief, identity, and the lives they might have lived. I read this story when it first came out in 2015, and last week, I was browsing Netflix and saw that it’s now a documentary, released in 2024. If you’re looking for something compelling to watch this weekend, this one’s worth your time. Below is the trailer: PROFILES.— Silicon Valley’s most mysterious investor [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**] PEOPLE TO KNOW.Silicon Valley’s most mysterious investor: Neil Mehta built Greenoaks into one of tech’s most daring investment firms by backing bold founders when others ran scared — think Coupang, Carvana, and Rippling. He moves fast, bets big, and personally leads every first meeting with a founder, earning a cult following among entrepreneurs. Now, rumors say he’s made his boldest bet yet: a $500 million investment in Ilya Sutskever’s mysterious AI startup, Safe Superintelligence. If true, Mehta may be backing the team that builds the future of humanity. (Colossus) “Neil’s extremely disciplined, he’s gone against the tide many times, and he’s had exceptional timing. He’s the real deal.” The men who made billions off the financially vulnerable: Two low-profile billionaires, Ben Navarro and Brett Hildebrand, quietly built a financial empire by targeting America’s most vulnerable borrowers through their subprime credit card bank, Credit One. Their business thrives on steep fees, aggressive debt collection, and customer confusion with the similarly named Capital One — netting them billions while customers rack up debt on low-limit cards. Credit One’s operations, largely hidden behind shell firms and opaque financial maneuvers, have drawn lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny, even as Navarro pours his wealth into philanthropy, politics, and his daughter Emma’s rising tennis career. Behind the feel-good image lies a ruthless profit machine. (Forbes; alternate link) “It felt a little slimy the way we made our money.” The death row priest: Rev. Jeff Hood is the last face many death row inmates see — whether they’re innocent or not. Driven by faith and radical compassion, he fights a system he sees as racist, arbitrary, and rooted in vengeance. Despite threats and heartbreak, he stands by the condemned to the very end, believing every soul deserves dignity. (Rolling Stone; alternate link) “I’ve always tried not to look these guys up before I go and talk to them. I want to give them a chance to be known as something other than a serial killer or rapist.” The men addicted to OnlyFans: OnlyFans addiction is quietly wreaking havoc on relationships, driven not just by sexual desire but by loneliness and the illusion of intimacy. Users spend thousands seeking emotional connection through custom messages and “Girlfriend Experiences,” forming parasocial bonds that feel painfully real. For partners like Evelyn and Julianne, the betrayal isn’t just financial — it’s emotional, and often hidden behind secrecy and denial. The path to recovery from this modern form of addiction is anything but simple. (New York Magazine; alternate link) “It took over my life. I didn’t feel like I had any control.” The six-figure nannies of Palm Beach: In Palm Beach, where wealth has exploded in the wake of Wall Street’s southern migration, nannies and housekeepers are now earning six-figure salaries — and total devotion is often part of the deal. Once a seasonal playground, the area has become a full-time enclave for billionaires, transforming private household work into a high-stakes profession requiring elite skills, 24/7 availability, and absolute discretion. As the ultra-rich demand ever more personal service, household staff now negotiate contracts, secure benefits, and command salaries rivaling white-collar jobs. But behind the luxe paychecks is a reality of sacrifice — living someone else’s life, not your own. (The New Yorker; alternate link) “There’s no way I could have my own family and do this job.” ✨ The rest of this newsletter is only available for premium members of The Profile, whose support makes this work possible. If you’re not already a premium member, consider upgrading your subscription below for access to an additional section of weekly audio + video recommendations. ✨ ![]() Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app
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