Banking Big Tech Fintech Investing Start Ups

California Ave, Palo Alto, E-Trade, Bank of the West

Cue the Time Machine.  Long ago, overheard at Printers Inc Cafe: “Can you believe the guy in my double E class is dropping out to start a company based on his bookmarks. He’s ridiculous.”  That would be Jerry Yang, founder of Yahoo.  I  kept listening and learning.

Printers Inc. Cafe was on California Ave; first a bookstore we all loved and then just the cafe was left. I still miss the bookstore with its original counter cafe and the cat who lived there.

More on California Ave:  I could walk down the block to this start up called E*Trade. WHAT? I could trade myself? No broker?  Color me in.  Then they ‘got big’ and moved to a real campus and then another and another and now, oh my, bought out by Morgan Stanley.  No comment.

And my bank was there too. Bank of the West. To me it was just a bank. It worked for my simple needs and all was good. And then, and then,  IT BECAME CANADIAN. Bought out by Bank of Montreal. I wouldn’t care so much if Justin Trudeau hadn’t shut down the bank accounts of every Canadian that donated over $40.00 to the Trucker. striking against mandates.

Oh bring on the fainting couch. Throw out all the lessons I was taught on liberty. Ferocious act by a leader. There is a new word in my vocabulary now: de-banked. I may get de-banked for this.

Well, Jerry Yang is doing just fine I hear.

 

FOUND: e*TRADE memorabilia, year 2000 (Morgan Stanley: if you ever set up a history collection for your new possession , and want to go back in time, I’m happy to talk about my memorabilia and seeing it find a new home. I’ve sheltered the origin story papers long enough)etrade year 2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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