Adventures of a Global Venture Capitalist

By: Giles GoodheadTue Dec 18, 2007 at 5:35 PM

Oh the people you meet in the search for a few million dollars! From armored cars in Colombia to karaoke in Korea, one young entrepreneur learns how to speak money with a global accent.

I fly to South Korea to sit down with two Korean billionaires, heads of midsize family businesses. "Let them see the real you," a friend has advised. "If they like you, well, who knows?"

We meet at 8 PM in a room salon, a subterranean club with private rooms lined with plush sofas. When the astonishingly young billionaires arrive, we all bow and swap business cards. Some attractive women bring in whiskey and pour out shots. We drain our glasses, and my eyes water. Everyone except me lights cigarettes. I take a deep breath.

I notice that the women haven't left. The one sitting next to me is wearing a cute white tennis outfit. "My name -- Miss Han," she pronounces, refilling my whiskey. Miss Han is very tall, very thin, very young.

"Good evening," I say, businesslike, and she collapses into giggles. I suspect my wife wouldn't find her amusing.

I launch into a pretty sexy presentation on my laptop computer, which I power up on the table among plates of peeled bananas and strawberries. But the billionaires are paying more attention to the women's suntan lines than my beautiful 3-D bar charts. Only Miss Han is watching loyally. Every now and then she drops a piece of banana in my mouth with long, slender fingers. Doesn't quite go with the whiskey.

Suddenly the door bursts open and huge loudspeakers appear, followed by a guitarist. Soon the two billionaires are crooning "Yesterday," and my computer beeps and shuts down.

Then it's my turn. I massacre "Bridge over Troubled Water," but Miss Han claps anyway. Minutes later we're all shrieking "Born to Be Wild," stomping around like maniacs.

Around 1 AM, we stagger outside. I gaze at a huge neon Goldstar sign that won't come into focus and struggle with the math: Eight people. Four bottles of whiskey. Five hours. The check had been $1,500.

I realize that my red necktie is still fastened around my forehead like a sweatband. "Born to Be Wild" echoes in my head, and I feel giddy.

"Let's do it," one of the Koreans says as he slips into his limo. "I'm in for $2 million."

Giles Goodhead (giles@monty.com) , a managing director of International Information Investors in Santa Monica, California, sings karaoke frequently.