Chapter 82. A Fitting Price for Wisdom (2)

Rolf Buch was a genius from his childhood.

He could deduce ten things from one, and he thought everyone else was a fool compared to him. Not particularly interested in school, he became engrossed in computers.

He started coding at the age of 9 and created his first program at 12. At 17, he sold a program he developed to a large corporation for $3 million.

He enrolled in MIT's Computer Science department, where he developed a dating app called Tinting. The app became a huge hit and was sold for $1.5 billion within two years.

Holding 80% of the shares, he suddenly had over a billion dollars and became a Silicon Valley star.

The media competed to write about his success, and he mingled with notable celebrities, spreading rumors with Hollywood actresses and Victoria's Secret models.

Paparazzi chased him, and his photos appeared in gossip magazines.

Rolf was not satisfied with this.

He wanted greater fame and wealth. He believed he was still young and could climb even higher.

However, the companies he founded afterward did not perform well.

Some programs were poor, some were outcompeted, some offered services no one wanted, and some lacked a viable business model.

He lost money through several business failures.

Although he still had enough assets to live comfortably, his reputation in Silicon Valley was declining.

The media's interest waned, and they no longer wrote about him. Instead, new geniuses and startups took his place.

He realized an important fact.

There are many geniuses in the world.

He had merely been ahead of the curve and caught the right timing. Once a genius, he was now just one of many skilled developers.

Rolf felt increasingly anxious.

"I need a big hit."

However, the market was not easy.

Competition intensified, and his company was failing, consuming only investment funds. The media showed no interest in his business.

Then he received a call from an MIT classmate.

Jason Kim.

They were not particularly close, as Rolf had dropped out of college before completing two years. However, he had a vague impression of him.

Rolf remembered Jason Kim as timid, inarticulate, and barely passing his classes.

He was completely different from a genius like himself.

Jason asked him to evaluate a program he had created.

The program was called Mimir.

It was an AI program that collected and analyzed data.

"Such a fool could only create something obvious."

Originally, he would have dismissed it as a waste of time and refused. However, he agreed on a whim.

"Since he's asking so desperately, I'll take a look."

He planned to mock the program if it was terrible.

However...

The moment he saw the program Jason had created, Rolf was astonished. Although it was not yet complete, it was nearly perfect.

The errors and malfunctions were due to a lack of adequate computer resources.

"Could that fool have created such a program?"

He found it hard to believe.

Moreover, Mimir could be applied to any field. Through data analysis and deep learning, it could be used for autonomous driving, robotics, gaming, and more.

"If I start a company with this... "

It was not just about money; it was a golden opportunity to regain his former glory.

He quickly proposed a joint venture to Jason Kim.

"What do you think about starting a company together? I'll invest."

As a renowned innovator and genius in Silicon Valley, Rolf's offer was eagerly accepted by Jason Kim.

They had many conversations afterward.

"Mimir was created by me alone."

"My wife doesn't understand what I do. She can't even use a smartphone."

"I haven't told anyone about our partnership. Everyone will be surprised when you show up on the day we start the company."

"Thanks for your help, Rolf."

"I wouldn't have known what to do without you."

"It's all thanks to you."

"I'll work hard to not let you down."

However, just before the company was to be launched, an unexpected event occurred.

Jason died in a traffic accident!

The company launch was naturally postponed.

Rolf, who was gradually winding down his existing company and preparing to start a new business, was devastated. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had slipped away.

While he was in a state of despair, a thought crossed his mind.

"Jason is dead, and the program hasn't been made public. Only Jason and I know about it. But since Jason is dead... "

Now, only he knew about the program!

"Shouldn't I be the one to release it to the world?"

Jason wouldn't want his creation to be buried.

"Yes, this is also for Jason."

Rationalizing it this way, Rolf founded CoolCloud based on Mimir. Alex Preston joined, and the funding issue was easily resolved.

Thanks to Mimir's outstanding performance and early aggressive investment, CoolCloud grew rapidly.

The media once again praised his genius, and he enjoyed wealth and fame as he had before.

He bought a penthouse in San Francisco and drove a supercar. Interview and lecture requests flooded in, and paparazzi followed him when he dated famous actresses.

The public eagerly showered him with praise and applause.

When explaining the program during lectures, he sometimes felt as if he had really created Mimir.

He had achieved the life he wanted.

He enjoyed life to the fullest. However, a sense of unease occasionally crept into his heart.

Was there someone among those who looked at him who knew the truth?

Sometimes he couldn't sleep without alcohol.

"What if this is revealed? What will happen to me?"

He might lose everything he had built.

"It won't happen. Nothing has happened in three years."

The dead cannot speak. No one would know.

However...

One day, someone appeared before him with the truth.

* * *

After looking at the documents, Rolf turned pale and trembled all over.

Noticing something was wrong, Alex snatched the documents from his hand and read them, his expression changing rapidly.

Alex demanded, "What is this?"

"As you can see, it's a complaint. We came here to hear CoolCloud's side before filing a lawsuit in California court."

"What are you going to sue us for?"

"For the unauthorized use of the program called Minerva at CoolCloud."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really not know, or are you pretending?"

"What are you talking about?"

I turned to Rolf.

"Mr. Preston might not know, but you, Rolf Buch, must know. Don't you?"

"..."

I continued to speak to him, who could not say a word.

"The program's name is not Minerva but Mimir. The developer is not you but Jason Kim, your friend who died in a traffic accident."

At my words, Rolf jumped up and shouted.

"What nonsense! Do you have any evidence!?"

"Calm down. Shouting like that makes you look guilty."

"What, what?"

From his reaction, it seemed he had not anticipated this.

Alex, holding Rolf's shoulder to calm him, asked me.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"Of course."

Rolf exclaimed in surprise.

"What!?"

"In the 21st century, important data is stored in the cloud. Jason Kim left the entire development process of Mimir in the cloud. Comparing Jason Kim's program with the initial version of Minerva, anyone can easily see they are the same program."

Alex calmly responded.

"Even if parts of the program are similar, it doesn't mean it was copied."

"It's not just borrowing ideas or parts; the entire program was stolen. Isn't that right?"

"How can you be sure it's the same program?"

"Can't we compare the code?"

"Are you asking us to disclose the source code?"

When someone creates something, someone else copies it.

Right now, many companies worldwide are involved in lawsuits related to this. However, proving it is not easy.

CoolCloud would not easily provide unfavorable materials. If it goes to court, it will take a long time for a judgment.

"Do we really need to go through all that trouble?"

I nodded, and David handed Rolf another document.

"These are the emails exchanged between you and Jason Kim. He kept them all. Just by reading the emails, you can see how much he respected you. Even without waiting for the court's decision, making these public will make it clear who developed the program."

Alex, who could not bear to look, examined the documents.

His expression grew increasingly serious, as if he believed this was irrefutable evidence.

"Wow, this is really surprising. The founder of a company hailed as an industry innovator, a fraudster who stole a program created by his deceased friend. What will customers and investors think when they learn this?"

The purpose of a company is to generate profit.

However, social responsibility is equally important, especially in advanced countries' high-tech industries.

The concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management is now emerging.

It emphasizes considering not only financial factors but also non-financial factors such as the environment, society, and governance in business management.

This is because consumers value these aspects.

Consumer groups have boycotted products and services from companies that destroy the environment, exploit children or workers, bully business partners, or support dictators or corrupt governments.

As a result, investors and pension funds also evaluate ESG as an important value and reflect it in their decision-making.

"Security is the lifeblood of cloud companies. If the company itself is stealing others' programs, I wonder if it's safe to entrust them with data."

While Rolf was trembling, Alex remained calm.

"Even if this is a problem, it's something CoolCloud and the other party need to resolve. What right does Continuity Capital have to interfere?"

"You're right. But... "