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Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption
The fascinating story of brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss's big bet on crypto-currency and its dazzling pay-off.
Planning to start careers as venture capitalists, the brothers quickly discover that no one will take their money after their fight with Zuckerberg. While nursing their wounds in Ibiza, they accidentally run into an eccentric character who tells them about a brand-new idea: cryptocurrency. Immersing themselves in what is then an obscure and sometimes sinister world, they begin to realize “crypto” is, in their own words, "either the next big thing or total bulls--t." There’s nothing left to do but make a bet.
From the Silk Road to the halls of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bitcoin Billionaires will take us on a wild and surprising ride while illuminating a tantalizing economic future. On November 26, 2017, the Winklevoss brothers became the first bitcoin billionaires. Here’s the story of how they got there—as only Ben Mezrich could tell it.
Planning to start careers as venture capitalists, the brothers quickly discover that no one will take their money after their fight with Zuckerberg. While nursing their wounds in Ibiza, they accidentally run into an eccentric character who tells them about a brand-new idea: cryptocurrency. Immersing themselves in what is then an obscure and sometimes sinister world, they begin to realize “crypto” is, in their own words, "either the next big thing or total bulls--t." There’s nothing left to do but make a bet.
From the Silk Road to the halls of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bitcoin Billionaires will take us on a wild and surprising ride while illuminating a tantalizing economic future. On November 26, 2017, the Winklevoss brothers became the first bitcoin billionaires. Here’s the story of how they got there—as only Ben Mezrich could tell it.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2019
About the author
Ben Mezrich
71 books1,339 followersBen Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 655 reviews
June 23, 2019
I had to stop reading this book half-way due to the overwhelming buttering up and ass-kissing of the Winklevoss twins. I am not sure how much the author received from the twins to write this book but it is so far from the truth you'd think Fox News has some competition in that space. The author makes it seem like the Winklevoss twins were responsible for the rise of bitcoin, that they are some type of geniuses, WTF man? What a waste! I did enjoy the "Accidental Billionaires" book Mezrich wrote but this one is a "reputation improvement campaign" for the Winklevoss twins - you know who they are - dumb jocks who live off of old money and dream about being future "tech entrepreneurs" and were screwed over by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. If you will excuse me, I will go and throw up now.
July 2, 2019
Mezrich has clearly drunk the whole pitcher of Bitcoin koolaid. This book reads as an infomercial on bitcoin and the Vinklevii so it's interesting if you are a full on convert. I am not so I LOLed my way through many parts of the book. Also, though Mezrich paints the Vinklevii as super smart and hard working and moral all of that, there was literally no evidence in the book to back up that claim.
April 16, 2019
I thought this was a fascinating book.
Although I have heard quite a bit lately about 'bitcoins' and cryptocurrencies, I really didn't understand any of it and actually had little interest in learning about it. However, this story drew me in. Not only did it enlighten me about this financial world, its radical new technology and its unusual characters but it presented it in a way that read like griping fiction. It's a story that could impact us all and the end isn't in sight yet.
I won an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
Although I have heard quite a bit lately about 'bitcoins' and cryptocurrencies, I really didn't understand any of it and actually had little interest in learning about it. However, this story drew me in. Not only did it enlighten me about this financial world, its radical new technology and its unusual characters but it presented it in a way that read like griping fiction. It's a story that could impact us all and the end isn't in sight yet.
I won an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
May 26, 2019
I did not read Accidental Billionaires before I read this book. I honestly had no idea that these books had any relation to one another. I picked up the book because I thought that I would learn more about bitcoin and how it works.
This book felt like a love letter to the Winklevoss twins and a hate letter to Mark Zuckerberg. The first 20 percent of the book was about how Zuckerberg "f*cked them in the ear". I could have done without this whole section of the book. It could have simply been Zuckerberg paid them off and they chose to invest in bitcoin.
I wanted to read this book because I wanted to learn more about what bitcoin actually is and because bitcoin mining is a huge deal in my little part of Washington state. In the end, I am not sure that I understand bitcoin much more and why it is so valuable. Learning about major players in the crypto-currency arena was interesting. I think I will be doing some more reading.
This book felt like a love letter to the Winklevoss twins and a hate letter to Mark Zuckerberg. The first 20 percent of the book was about how Zuckerberg "f*cked them in the ear". I could have done without this whole section of the book. It could have simply been Zuckerberg paid them off and they chose to invest in bitcoin.
I wanted to read this book because I wanted to learn more about what bitcoin actually is and because bitcoin mining is a huge deal in my little part of Washington state. In the end, I am not sure that I understand bitcoin much more and why it is so valuable. Learning about major players in the crypto-currency arena was interesting. I think I will be doing some more reading.
June 25, 2019
From the New York Times, bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires (the inspiration for The Social Network movie) comes the fascinating story of Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
I was aching to read Bitcoin Billionaires, even contacting the publisher directly for a review copy. I’ve not read Ben Mezrich’s previous book Accidental Billionaires, but I watched and loved The Social Network movie and even felt a tad sorry for the privileged, handsome, smart Winklevoss twins. I was definitely intrigued by what happened and how Zuckerberg played them and won. Even though the twins hardly lost with their multi-million dollar payout.
How disappointed I was when I started reading! The overarching story of redemption in Bitcoin Billionaires is not about Tyler and Cameron at all. Rather, author Ben Mezrich seems to have published this book as some kind of apology for The Social Network. Trying to reverse the way the twins were portrayed as Harvard jocks who rowed well and had fantastic hair. The book isn’t balanced and was so cringey at times with its fawning prose that I very sadly had to stop reading. It almost read like a piece of fan-fiction.
A great example early on is when Mezrich refers to the twins Olympic rowing prowess.
“Pull, goddam it! Pull!”
Every cell in Tyler’s body surged as he put his weight against the oar. He groaned as his broad shoulders opened like the wings of a bird, his frame stretching into the stroke with near perfect precision. Directly in front of him, Cameron moved in parallel, two parts of a coordinated well-oiled machine. From afar they were a duet of smooth, controlled motion, but up close, inside the carved-out, fibreglass shell slicing across the crystal water, it was all sinew and sweat and grime, knots of muscle rising and falling beneath skin bruised and blistered and torn. – Bitcoin Billionaires
See what I mean? It’s almost erotic!
If a movie is made about the Winklevoss twins return to glory with Bitcoin, I will be sure to watch it. Their story still intrigues me, however, I was expecting a book balanced in its delivery told through the lens of an experienced biographer rather than that of a teenage crush. Or, maybe the twins orchestrated a favourable biography for themselves in the light of the Social Network fallout? Who knows. Either way, I was sorely disappointed.
Bitcoin Billionaires could have been a compelling contemporary human story, but instead was completely lost in the authors delivery. A wasted PR opportunity for two incredibly smart, albeit Harvard privileged men who are owning the crypto world. They are doing something right, this just wasn’t the right way to tell it.
I was aching to read Bitcoin Billionaires, even contacting the publisher directly for a review copy. I’ve not read Ben Mezrich’s previous book Accidental Billionaires, but I watched and loved The Social Network movie and even felt a tad sorry for the privileged, handsome, smart Winklevoss twins. I was definitely intrigued by what happened and how Zuckerberg played them and won. Even though the twins hardly lost with their multi-million dollar payout.
How disappointed I was when I started reading! The overarching story of redemption in Bitcoin Billionaires is not about Tyler and Cameron at all. Rather, author Ben Mezrich seems to have published this book as some kind of apology for The Social Network. Trying to reverse the way the twins were portrayed as Harvard jocks who rowed well and had fantastic hair. The book isn’t balanced and was so cringey at times with its fawning prose that I very sadly had to stop reading. It almost read like a piece of fan-fiction.
A great example early on is when Mezrich refers to the twins Olympic rowing prowess.
“Pull, goddam it! Pull!”
Every cell in Tyler’s body surged as he put his weight against the oar. He groaned as his broad shoulders opened like the wings of a bird, his frame stretching into the stroke with near perfect precision. Directly in front of him, Cameron moved in parallel, two parts of a coordinated well-oiled machine. From afar they were a duet of smooth, controlled motion, but up close, inside the carved-out, fibreglass shell slicing across the crystal water, it was all sinew and sweat and grime, knots of muscle rising and falling beneath skin bruised and blistered and torn. – Bitcoin Billionaires
See what I mean? It’s almost erotic!
If a movie is made about the Winklevoss twins return to glory with Bitcoin, I will be sure to watch it. Their story still intrigues me, however, I was expecting a book balanced in its delivery told through the lens of an experienced biographer rather than that of a teenage crush. Or, maybe the twins orchestrated a favourable biography for themselves in the light of the Social Network fallout? Who knows. Either way, I was sorely disappointed.
Bitcoin Billionaires could have been a compelling contemporary human story, but instead was completely lost in the authors delivery. A wasted PR opportunity for two incredibly smart, albeit Harvard privileged men who are owning the crypto world. They are doing something right, this just wasn’t the right way to tell it.
June 18, 2020
What a ride!
I always read Ben Mezrich new books, this one is good!
I always read Ben Mezrich new books, this one is good!
July 17, 2019
So, how many bitcoins did the “Winklevii” send to Mezrich in exchange for this kiss-ass redemption story? He did not paint the twins in this manner in The Accidental Billionaires. One wonders. 🤔 Anyway, that aside, the writing is good, the story is compelling, but I still can’t wrap my head around the purpose of cryptocurrency (Bitcoin in particular). It just seems like a complex and volatile game of skirting regulations.
August 23, 2019
I'm still not clear on what BitCoin is. I know it's still a bit controversial and I can't afford it. This book was well written. It made me feel like a fly on the wall for all the of the major events with the Winklevoss twins, and major players. I highly recommend as it has made me more curious about this. Also, if my mother is asking about it I should probably study up! Although, if mommy has enough money to want more information maybe I should ask her to buy me some.
August 17, 2019
Meh. Being non-fiction, I was hoping to learn something, but I didn't.
The "heroes" of this story are the Winklevoss twins (the rowers who sued Mark Zuckerburg for stealing their idea). This story has no like-able characters.
One part amazing, 35 parts filler.
It had one amazing chapter on the elaborate way they secured the crypto keys to their bitcoin wallet. They bought several laptops and a printer as disposable one-time-use items. One laptop to download the Bitcoin software and put the program on a USB. Plug that USB into another laptop that has never and will never be plugged into the internet (Wifi/Bluetooth cards removed before ever turning it on). Then an elaborate process of generating the keys to their bitcoin account. Printing them off in fragments onto several pieces of paper. Then they destroyed the laptops and printers. Finally they flew all over the world hiding the shards of their key in safety deposit boxes all over the world. That even IF some heist found them all they wouldn't know how to put them together.
Every other chapter was filler.
Filed under the category "garbage" for me.
August 16, 2019
Bitcoin Billionaires is one of the few books that talks about Bitcoin from the perspective of known personalities (with a non libertarian background) - Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss aka Winklevii. It gives a perspective that is not as concentrated on economics, technicals, and hype that most crypto books have.
From the very beginning, it tells a well-known story (with surprising insights) about the Zuckerberk-Winklevii Facebook battle. The book thus intertwines their battle with their discovery of Bitcoin and their life in crypto.
The book provides a story that will be enjoyed by all audiences. It’s definitely one of my top reads that I would recommend to anyone, not just those investing in crypto.
From the very beginning, it tells a well-known story (with surprising insights) about the Zuckerberk-Winklevii Facebook battle. The book thus intertwines their battle with their discovery of Bitcoin and their life in crypto.
The book provides a story that will be enjoyed by all audiences. It’s definitely one of my top reads that I would recommend to anyone, not just those investing in crypto.
January 9, 2020
Working in the Financial Services industry, I have been looking for something that could explain bitcoin to me in terms that I can understand, AND make sure I didn’t fall asleep halfway through. When I saw this as a BOTM pick a couple of months ago, I was intrigued. I added it to my list, and then saw it was available via audio at my library so I thought I would start it and see what it was about. Turns out, I finished in two settings.
I had not read the detailed synopsis, and therefore had no idea this was about the WInklevoss twins (aka “Winklevii”) post-Facebook, nor that it would open with a riveting scene between the twins and Zuckerberg that would leave the Winklevii so bitter that I’m not sure they have really ever gotten over it. But then it moves to their venture into bitcoin. And it is quite a ride. The author in fact does explain bitcoin so that I could finally understand it, but gives us so much more. He throws in little foreshadowing nuggets, and then all of a sudden they come to a head and folks, we are now in the middle of a true crime novel. Skrrt!! You knew something had to be coming, but this? No. People are getting arrested, the FBI is everywhere, crimes are being committed and paid for with bitcoin. While all this chaos is going on, the Winklevii are over here making that coin.
Real talk - Is this book highly favored toward the twins? Yes. Does that mean they had a hand in how they were portrayed? Oh, probably, they are billionaires after all. But I wouldn’t let that necessarily deter you from reading this, I still learned something, and the pacing is good, the drama is real, and it is not a long book at 288 pages. I will also say the audiobook is excellent as well. Regardless of how you feel about them, or Zuckerberg, if cryptocurrency interests you in the slightest, then I would pick this up. You’ll know pretty quickly if it is your cup of tea or not.
I had not read the detailed synopsis, and therefore had no idea this was about the WInklevoss twins (aka “Winklevii”) post-Facebook, nor that it would open with a riveting scene between the twins and Zuckerberg that would leave the Winklevii so bitter that I’m not sure they have really ever gotten over it. But then it moves to their venture into bitcoin. And it is quite a ride. The author in fact does explain bitcoin so that I could finally understand it, but gives us so much more. He throws in little foreshadowing nuggets, and then all of a sudden they come to a head and folks, we are now in the middle of a true crime novel. Skrrt!! You knew something had to be coming, but this? No. People are getting arrested, the FBI is everywhere, crimes are being committed and paid for with bitcoin. While all this chaos is going on, the Winklevii are over here making that coin.
Real talk - Is this book highly favored toward the twins? Yes. Does that mean they had a hand in how they were portrayed? Oh, probably, they are billionaires after all. But I wouldn’t let that necessarily deter you from reading this, I still learned something, and the pacing is good, the drama is real, and it is not a long book at 288 pages. I will also say the audiobook is excellent as well. Regardless of how you feel about them, or Zuckerberg, if cryptocurrency interests you in the slightest, then I would pick this up. You’ll know pretty quickly if it is your cup of tea or not.
June 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. In fact ALL of Ben Mezrich’s books I’ve read I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I always learn so much after reading his books! With that said....Bitcoin Billionaires would have been so much better if I could really fully understand Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. This is in no way the authors fault. This book is not intended to get into the finer points of exactly how cryptocurrency works. I think my lack of knowledge in the inner workings of Bitcoin made some parts of this book a bit challenging to follow.
Going into this book I wasn’t to keen on the Winklevoss twins. (‘The Accidental Billionaire’ and ‘The Social Network’ had much to do with this....) After reading this....I have very favorable opinions of them now. They are the “do-gooders” in the world of Bitcoin. From the get-go the Winklevoss twins were the ones fighting for its legality. They wanted to keep it on the right side of the law when others did not. This is definitely a redemption story for the Winklevoss twins. They were beaten down by Facebook, and seemed to walk away with their tails between their legs....(although they did receive a large settlement). Years later and many thousands of miles from Silicon Valley a chance encounter introduces them to Bitcoin. And it is then they realize the new world of cryptocurrency has given them their second chance to be kings.
4.25 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Going into this book I wasn’t to keen on the Winklevoss twins. (‘The Accidental Billionaire’ and ‘The Social Network’ had much to do with this....) After reading this....I have very favorable opinions of them now. They are the “do-gooders” in the world of Bitcoin. From the get-go the Winklevoss twins were the ones fighting for its legality. They wanted to keep it on the right side of the law when others did not. This is definitely a redemption story for the Winklevoss twins. They were beaten down by Facebook, and seemed to walk away with their tails between their legs....(although they did receive a large settlement). Years later and many thousands of miles from Silicon Valley a chance encounter introduces them to Bitcoin. And it is then they realize the new world of cryptocurrency has given them their second chance to be kings.
4.25 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 22, 2019
The ingredients that form this book:
* 25% Puff piece for the Winklevoss twins
* 40% Drama surrounding the development of Bitcoin
* 10% Information about the development of Bitcoin
* 20% Descriptions of parties
* 5% Analysis of anything
Also, this is unfair, but the author photo has double popped collars and mirror sunglasses.
* 25% Puff piece for the Winklevoss twins
* 40% Drama surrounding the development of Bitcoin
* 10% Information about the development of Bitcoin
* 20% Descriptions of parties
* 5% Analysis of anything
Also, this is unfair, but the author photo has double popped collars and mirror sunglasses.
October 29, 2019
The grumpus23 (23-word commentary)
Twins en route to billions. Could not get past the feeling this was written to be adapted to another movie. Long live Bitcoin.
Bonus Commentary: "The technology behind Bitcoin isn’t a fad, or a bubble, or a scheme; it’s a fundamental paradigm shift, and it will eventually change everything."
Twins en route to billions. Could not get past the feeling this was written to be adapted to another movie. Long live Bitcoin.
Bonus Commentary: "The technology behind Bitcoin isn’t a fad, or a bubble, or a scheme; it’s a fundamental paradigm shift, and it will eventually change everything."
July 1, 2019
Mrrwwaaabbiud!&$###!! Okay I feel better getting that out. Ben Mezrich frustrates me. His writing reminds me of reading a Hardy Boys novel. In fact if you’re interested in reading this book go ahead and prepare for the dry cleaned adventures of swell chums Frank and Joe, I mean Tyler and Cameron, as in the infamous Winklevoss twins. That’s really what this book is about, because I would be kidding to tell you it’s actually about Bitcoin (whether in upper case Bitcoin or lower case bitcoin). The twins are the heroes here, valiantly pushing for checks and balances in the seedy world of crypto currency and employing their family’s values and ethics of hard work and hand shake promises, as rock solid and tidy as when Frank and Joe solve their case and come out winners, every time. Give. Me. A. Break. If I wanted a PR puff piece about these twins I would seek out a long form piece on Medium. Where is the journalism in this research, meaning where is the objectivity? Truth is long term these guys could be complete suckers instead of winners because bitcoin has a future that is so risky and so unknown. You wouldn’t know that reading this book because it is so unbalanced.
May 26, 2019
I honestly can’t tell you what Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are even after reading “Bitcoin Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich. That has far more to do with my ignorance of anything financial and less to do with the author’s work. However, I do know a bit about Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and some other crypto fanatics, including a Syrian-Jewish guy in his mid-20’s named Charlie.
The Winklevoss Twins, also referred to as the Winklevii to those in the know, are known to those in the know because of their working with Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard on the development of Facebook. A famous court case occurred and the 6’5” Winklevii lost out to the 5’5” Zuckerberg. The tall boys did settle for a lot of money, though, and set out to make their ways in the financial world. They picked up on Bitcoin (whatever it really is), Charlie, and a fair number of somewhat spurious individuals.
The Winklevii are really the straight men in Mezrich’s tale of coin, drugs, and really hot women. Think models, here. His book is fun to read and will probably make a good movie, as a previous book about Facebook did. And maybe by the time I see the movie, I’ll understand crypto currency.
The Winklevoss Twins, also referred to as the Winklevii to those in the know, are known to those in the know because of their working with Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard on the development of Facebook. A famous court case occurred and the 6’5” Winklevii lost out to the 5’5” Zuckerberg. The tall boys did settle for a lot of money, though, and set out to make their ways in the financial world. They picked up on Bitcoin (whatever it really is), Charlie, and a fair number of somewhat spurious individuals.
The Winklevii are really the straight men in Mezrich’s tale of coin, drugs, and really hot women. Think models, here. His book is fun to read and will probably make a good movie, as a previous book about Facebook did. And maybe by the time I see the movie, I’ll understand crypto currency.
August 24, 2019
I cannot believe this book is reviewing at average 4 stars.
Bitcoin Billionaires paints the Winklevoss twins as automomous robots, with no flaws, no motives, and no personal interests. We are to imagine two Calvin Klein mannequins that can do no wrong vs. the world (everyone else is portrayed negatively; ranging from hot-mess to evil manipulative world-dominators).
What should have been a character story, underlying an immense drama playing out on a world stage, was an overarching story arc of the same theme, reinforced (or borishly reiterated) from the outside looking in. A reader could imagine this biographer never having spoken to or met the main characters. Its as if they have never existed outside of their carefully crafted and controlled PR image, and this story dives in no further.
Bitcoin Billionaire offers zero depth. This is a timeline recap of the "what", without intrigue.
Bitcoin Billionaires paints the Winklevoss twins as automomous robots, with no flaws, no motives, and no personal interests. We are to imagine two Calvin Klein mannequins that can do no wrong vs. the world (everyone else is portrayed negatively; ranging from hot-mess to evil manipulative world-dominators).
What should have been a character story, underlying an immense drama playing out on a world stage, was an overarching story arc of the same theme, reinforced (or borishly reiterated) from the outside looking in. A reader could imagine this biographer never having spoken to or met the main characters. Its as if they have never existed outside of their carefully crafted and controlled PR image, and this story dives in no further.
Bitcoin Billionaire offers zero depth. This is a timeline recap of the "what", without intrigue.
October 24, 2020
Amazingly written, Ben Mezrich has the gift of writing reality like it is fiction. It's a very interesting story and this book reads like a movie.
I can't wait for the Netflix adaptation!
I can't wait for the Netflix adaptation!
December 16, 2020
Entertaining quick read if you are interested in early days of crypto.
September 22, 2021
This book seemed to be written to hype the Winklevoss twins. The author makes hem out as gods that can do no wrong.. I wouldn’t be surprised if they paid the author to write this book about them.
January 11, 2022
علیالحساب؛
داستان جالبیه. برادران وینکلواس که گفته میشه زاکربرگ مارموز ایدهی فیسبوک رو از اونها دزدید، بعد شکست خوردن در دادگاهی که از فیسبوک شکایت کرده بودن و ناکامی بعدش در شروع استارتاپهای جدید، با بیتکوین آشنا میشن و قدم در راهی میذارن که اونها رو از شخصیت فرعی قصهی فیسبوک درمیاره و درنهایت به اولین میلیاردرهای مشخص حوزهی کریپتوکارنسی تبدیل میکنه. بلاه بلاه بلاه.
حس خودم؟ دنبال کردم قصهی دو برادر قایقران المپیکی رو. ولی قصه خیلی هالیوودیه. من قصهی شخصیت چارلی رو بیشتر دوست داشتم. یا ور مثلا. یا حتی خواهرشون. قصهه یه چیزی کم داره. حسم به برادران وینکلواس، اونجور که نویسنده میگه درومدن از خاکستر قضیهی فیسبوک و پروازشون بر آسمان کریپتو نیست. قطعا بالا پایین داشتن و ریسک زیادی کردن وقتی وارد بیتکوین شدن و بعدش قدمهای بزرگی برای وجههی بیتکوین برداشتن و البته کارآفرینی توی خونشونه با اون عقبهی خونوادگی، اما حسم بازم بهشون همون مردان هارواردی بود درنهایت. نمیتونم منظورم رو بگم اصلا. شایدم که دارم حسودی میکنم. چون بازار کریپتو ریخته. و اونقدر ریخته که کاردش رسیده به استخون سرمایهم دیگه. :)))
ولی کتاب خوب نوشته شده. بعدشم، میدونی، جدای جذاییت خود قصه، خوندن یه برههای که بیتکوین تازه داره پا میگیره و اسمهای آشنا میبینی جالبه. انگار داری بتر کال ساول رو تماشا میکنی، بعد هی نشونههای بریکینگ بد رو توش میبینی. این واقعیت و نزدیک بودن و آشنا بودن محیطش رو من دوست داشتم.
داستان جالبیه. برادران وینکلواس که گفته میشه زاکربرگ مارموز ایدهی فیسبوک رو از اونها دزدید، بعد شکست خوردن در دادگاهی که از فیسبوک شکایت کرده بودن و ناکامی بعدش در شروع استارتاپهای جدید، با بیتکوین آشنا میشن و قدم در راهی میذارن که اونها رو از شخصیت فرعی قصهی فیسبوک درمیاره و درنهایت به اولین میلیاردرهای مشخص حوزهی کریپتوکارنسی تبدیل میکنه. بلاه بلاه بلاه.
حس خودم؟ دنبال کردم قصهی دو برادر قایقران المپیکی رو. ولی قصه خیلی هالیوودیه. من قصهی شخصیت چارلی رو بیشتر دوست داشتم. یا ور مثلا. یا حتی خواهرشون. قصهه یه چیزی کم داره. حسم به برادران وینکلواس، اونجور که نویسنده میگه درومدن از خاکستر قضیهی فیسبوک و پروازشون بر آسمان کریپتو نیست. قطعا بالا پایین داشتن و ریسک زیادی کردن وقتی وارد بیتکوین شدن و بعدش قدمهای بزرگی برای وجههی بیتکوین برداشتن و البته کارآفرینی توی خونشونه با اون عقبهی خونوادگی، اما حسم بازم بهشون همون مردان هارواردی بود درنهایت. نمیتونم منظورم رو بگم اصلا. شایدم که دارم حسودی میکنم. چون بازار کریپتو ریخته. و اونقدر ریخته که کاردش رسیده به استخون سرمایهم دیگه. :)))
ولی کتاب خوب نوشته شده. بعدشم، میدونی، جدای جذاییت خود قصه، خوندن یه برههای که بیتکوین تازه داره پا میگیره و اسمهای آشنا میبینی جالبه. انگار داری بتر کال ساول رو تماشا میکنی، بعد هی نشونههای بریکینگ بد رو توش میبینی. این واقعیت و نزدیک بودن و آشنا بودن محیطش رو من دوست داشتم.
December 11, 2019
What I wanted from this book: juicy intrigue about key players in the early bitcoin world , some social history about cryptocurrency, and an explanation of bitcoin that wasn't overly technical.
What I got:
Gems like this quote: "...as soon as they'd reached the second floor, they'd started bickering in the way that only two people who have seen each other naked could argue: viciously and too loud."
A great deal of using ""the kid" to refer to young men aged 22-26.
Entirely too much word space devoted to rowing.
I'm not sure how a book manages to be too melodramatically written but also not actually dramatic or tense. This achieved that dubious honor. I get why the Winklevoss twins were a primary focus, but it felt like florid PR for them. I would much rather have heard from more of the major people involved in bitcoin. The disagreement between staunch libertarian philosophy and establishment regulation should have been interesting tension. It wasn't really treated with any depth aside from the focus on how it affected Charlie Shrem.
The story is still somewhat interesting, but the writing style really killed it for me.
What I got:
Gems like this quote: "...as soon as they'd reached the second floor, they'd started bickering in the way that only two people who have seen each other naked could argue: viciously and too loud."
A great deal of using ""the kid" to refer to young men aged 22-26.
Entirely too much word space devoted to rowing.
I'm not sure how a book manages to be too melodramatically written but also not actually dramatic or tense. This achieved that dubious honor. I get why the Winklevoss twins were a primary focus, but it felt like florid PR for them. I would much rather have heard from more of the major people involved in bitcoin. The disagreement between staunch libertarian philosophy and establishment regulation should have been interesting tension. It wasn't really treated with any depth aside from the focus on how it affected Charlie Shrem.
The story is still somewhat interesting, but the writing style really killed it for me.
May 27, 2019
I've read a bunch of Mezrich's prior works and this is right up there with the best of them. As usual, he unfolds the story nicely and builds suspense throughout.
I was aware of many of the events around Bitcoin but certainly not as intimately as I am now. I'm also grateful that my perspective on the Winklevosses is more refined. Mezrich humanizes them in a way that the media simply hasn't.
I do question the extent to which things happened in the order presented. To be fair, Mezrich provides a disclaimer at the start o the book.
Excellent read.
I was aware of many of the events around Bitcoin but certainly not as intimately as I am now. I'm also grateful that my perspective on the Winklevosses is more refined. Mezrich humanizes them in a way that the media simply hasn't.
I do question the extent to which things happened in the order presented. To be fair, Mezrich provides a disclaimer at the start o the book.
Excellent read.
May 24, 2020
There’s no doubt that the twins funded the writing of this book. It’s super cringe and written as though it’s a script ready for a movie.
It idolises the money hungry twins who clearly have deep personal issues, no friends and an unnecessary desire to always win and prove themselves. It also convinced me that Bitcoin is nothing more than a scam with the founders profiting to an obscene level. I mean what job is bitcoin really doing that banks and fintechs aren’t already? It’s volatility is just the start of the argument as to why it’s not solving any problems as of yet.
It idolises the money hungry twins who clearly have deep personal issues, no friends and an unnecessary desire to always win and prove themselves. It also convinced me that Bitcoin is nothing more than a scam with the founders profiting to an obscene level. I mean what job is bitcoin really doing that banks and fintechs aren’t already? It’s volatility is just the start of the argument as to why it’s not solving any problems as of yet.
April 5, 2020
How the Winklevoss twins got into Bitcoin. They were technically co-founders of FB, got duped out of their stake and sued Zuckerberg. After a hefty settlement, the twins decided Bitcoin was the next new frontier and went all in. Some interesting details here, such as the extreme measures they take to keep their BTC's from getting stolen. Because of the title, I thought the book would talk about how they made billions from Bitcoin. In fact, it doesn't make clear at all whether they actually made money (or how much) from the whole venture.
July 5, 2019
Couldn't put this book down. Fascinating story about the Winklevoss twins and their involvement in BitCoin and BitInstant.
February 26, 2022
Do I know much about Bitcoin? No. Does this book help? Somewhat. But this is a good book to dip your toes into this new realm, understanding the Wild West beginnings of Bitcoin, from the lenses of the Winklevoss twins. Is it biased? I’m not sure but I’d lean towards yes. After all, it reads like a saga, and you bet there will be protagonists... And clearly the winners write history. It was interesting to see their rise post the whole Facebook spat. Few can make such a comeback, swimming against the tide. Was it sheer luck they bought enough coins in the early days to become Bitcoin billionaires? You needed guts to go big that’s for sure - people can’t deny that. Time will tell how their ventures such as Gemini play out. What I do appreciate is their drive to push onwards. The lesson here is not that you need to forgive, but when you get beaten down, you pick yourself up.
Does this book make me want to learn more about cryptocurrency? Absolutely. You see the ideological clash among the early adopters, those who still believe in the current framework in which society operate versus those with radical ideology that approximate anarchism. I think when new technology show up, rather than reject it outright, trying to understand, embrace, and regulate is the best approach. If you think technology aimed at decentralization will bring power to the commons, I am of the view those with power will regulate such technologies. Call me a pessimist, but the author has a point that tech is full of ironies.
If you are looking for a book on the granularities and technicality of crytpo, this is not the book. But if you want to bedtime story of the interesting characters in the world of crypto, you wouldn’t be too disappointed.
Does this book make me want to learn more about cryptocurrency? Absolutely. You see the ideological clash among the early adopters, those who still believe in the current framework in which society operate versus those with radical ideology that approximate anarchism. I think when new technology show up, rather than reject it outright, trying to understand, embrace, and regulate is the best approach. If you think technology aimed at decentralization will bring power to the commons, I am of the view those with power will regulate such technologies. Call me a pessimist, but the author has a point that tech is full of ironies.
If you are looking for a book on the granularities and technicality of crytpo, this is not the book. But if you want to bedtime story of the interesting characters in the world of crypto, you wouldn’t be too disappointed.
June 6, 2023
If you're interested in the history of bitcoin and how it's gained widespread adoption despite all the obstacles and setbacks, then this is a great book to read. Educational and entertaining.
I knew bits and pieces of this story, but there was a lot I didn't know, which made it really interesting for me.
For example, Mezrich admits he misrepresented the Winklevoss twins in his earlier book about Facebook, and that Bitcoin Billionaires is partially an effort to right that wrong.
So the book starts off with Facebook, and the Winklevoss' lawsuit against Zuckerberg. Fascinating stuff, especially the direct quotes from Zuck, which reveal just how unethical he was (is?).
From there, we learn a lot about the Winklevoss' twins, their family, their upbringing, etc. And then how they invested in BitInstant and bitcoin after receiving the settlement from Facebook. All in all, a great read.
I knew bits and pieces of this story, but there was a lot I didn't know, which made it really interesting for me.
For example, Mezrich admits he misrepresented the Winklevoss twins in his earlier book about Facebook, and that Bitcoin Billionaires is partially an effort to right that wrong.
So the book starts off with Facebook, and the Winklevoss' lawsuit against Zuckerberg. Fascinating stuff, especially the direct quotes from Zuck, which reveal just how unethical he was (is?).
From there, we learn a lot about the Winklevoss' twins, their family, their upbringing, etc. And then how they invested in BitInstant and bitcoin after receiving the settlement from Facebook. All in all, a great read.
February 9, 2022
Interesting story about the Winklevoss twins and other players in the early days of cryptocurrency full of details and well-structured by the author. However, I really dislike Mezrich's use of recreated dialogue to convey events. It feels artificial and I said to myself countless time that nobody uttered these platitudes. I would still recommend reading it for the incredible story.
October 19, 2019
I read "The Accidental Billionaires" a long time ago, the saw the movie "The Social Network" based on that book. I only remember how interesting it was to learn how Facebook originated, perhaps getting the movie (which was nominated for and won a number of Oscars and Golden Globes) confused with book. But in reading Bitcoin Billionaires, the dislike of Mezrich's writing all comes back to me. Granted, fascinating events, but terrible writing and questionable source material.
We're back, revisiting the Winklevoss twins, the wealthy jockish Harvard guys who legally battled it out with Zuckerberg over the ownership of Facebook. (Obviously the twins lost, forever marked with the scandal and forever alienated from anyone who wants to be in Zuckerberg's good graces.) This time around, instead of stereotyping the twins as entitled snots, Mezrich is writing a love letter about them. They are strong and brave and smart and looking to make their mark on the world. With their settlement "go away" money from Zuckerberg, they desperately wanted to invest in the next new thing, but because of who they were, nobody wanted their help. On one of their romps to Ibiza, at a club, they meet Charlie Shrem. Shrem was a hyper 22 year-old who had just founded the company Bitinstant, a service that allows one to convert funds to Bitcoin. Charlie pitched the beauty of Bitcoin to the twins, and lo and behold, they had their next project. The road was treacherous...the instability of the currency, the fact that Bitcoin's anonymous nature lends itself to be used on the dark web for illegal purposes, the fact that Charlie was an immature drug addict...but the twins are strong and brave and smart so they rose above the fray and remained victorious. Or something like that.
This book was chosen for one of my book clubs, because our group wanted a better understanding of what Bitcoin was and how it worked, without getting too bogged down. I'm fairly sure none of us will be any wiser after reading this fluff piece. Again, it was a love letter of sorts, flowery and dramatic, like a tale of good against evil. Mezrich also qualifies his information at the beginning of the book, like he did in "The Accidental Billionaires", basically saying he did lots of interviews but not everyone cooperated so he filled in the blanks the best he could. Therefore, he is telling a story that is one-sided, and really cannot be trusted. I was ready to be done with this one. The book is rated very high on Amazon. The only explanation for this is that readers have rated the interesting story and not the writing.
The author does bring up the case of Ross Ulbricht, the 26 year-old techie who set up the infamous Silk Road on the dark web where anything could be purchased (drugs, guns, sex, murder for hire) with Bitcoin. If you want to read an incredible BALANCED account of his activities and capture, read "American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton.
Our narrator was Will Damron, someone I've heard many times. It's funny, sometimes his voice works and sometimes it doesn't. He's got this musical, dramatic way about his delivery, and in this case it just made Mezrich's apparent infatuation with the twins even more annoying.
We're back, revisiting the Winklevoss twins, the wealthy jockish Harvard guys who legally battled it out with Zuckerberg over the ownership of Facebook. (Obviously the twins lost, forever marked with the scandal and forever alienated from anyone who wants to be in Zuckerberg's good graces.) This time around, instead of stereotyping the twins as entitled snots, Mezrich is writing a love letter about them. They are strong and brave and smart and looking to make their mark on the world. With their settlement "go away" money from Zuckerberg, they desperately wanted to invest in the next new thing, but because of who they were, nobody wanted their help. On one of their romps to Ibiza, at a club, they meet Charlie Shrem. Shrem was a hyper 22 year-old who had just founded the company Bitinstant, a service that allows one to convert funds to Bitcoin. Charlie pitched the beauty of Bitcoin to the twins, and lo and behold, they had their next project. The road was treacherous...the instability of the currency, the fact that Bitcoin's anonymous nature lends itself to be used on the dark web for illegal purposes, the fact that Charlie was an immature drug addict...but the twins are strong and brave and smart so they rose above the fray and remained victorious. Or something like that.
This book was chosen for one of my book clubs, because our group wanted a better understanding of what Bitcoin was and how it worked, without getting too bogged down. I'm fairly sure none of us will be any wiser after reading this fluff piece. Again, it was a love letter of sorts, flowery and dramatic, like a tale of good against evil. Mezrich also qualifies his information at the beginning of the book, like he did in "The Accidental Billionaires", basically saying he did lots of interviews but not everyone cooperated so he filled in the blanks the best he could. Therefore, he is telling a story that is one-sided, and really cannot be trusted. I was ready to be done with this one. The book is rated very high on Amazon. The only explanation for this is that readers have rated the interesting story and not the writing.
The author does bring up the case of Ross Ulbricht, the 26 year-old techie who set up the infamous Silk Road on the dark web where anything could be purchased (drugs, guns, sex, murder for hire) with Bitcoin. If you want to read an incredible BALANCED account of his activities and capture, read "American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton.
Our narrator was Will Damron, someone I've heard many times. It's funny, sometimes his voice works and sometimes it doesn't. He's got this musical, dramatic way about his delivery, and in this case it just made Mezrich's apparent infatuation with the twins even more annoying.
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