Early pictures from the days when PayPal was a startup

For example, I used to do media buying. Back then, it was too easy to make money via online advertising. Any halfwitted idea would yields you tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. I actually owned a site dedicated to games that had a HUGE amount of visitors, and yet it never occured to me to put ads on it (not just putting ads on my site either, but pursuing online advertising ventures).

I also could have easily made and promoted some sites to fill certain niches given certain circles I was a part of (back then there were so many ideas not yet put into place). Instead it just didn't occur to me.

I have a lot of friends that started half-assed ideas back then in that era and now have millions of dollars. Thats not to say no skill was involved, it was just the chances then were MUCH higher than now, almost to the point where if you started then you probably would have something to show for it by now, if you were even halfway tactful with your strategies and implementation - which is something I know I could have been.

EDIT: I'm not talking strictly about the paypal era I suppose, my mind is drifting to a bit earlier, in the days of google being new, etc.

I ALREADY had the pieces in place, I had connections to get things done (not like "oh I have connections", im just saying for being a young lad I knew a lot of people that would help me that knew what they were doing). Thinking back I actually impress my current day self with what I did. I already had the knowledge, I already had 90% of what I needed, I even had a successful starting place with a successful site... instead I dicked around with 3d models instead of putting my mind into media buying or ANYTHING having to do with making money. It just didnt OCCUR to me that yes, you could be making money right now.

I suppose as a concrete example -- I didnt start doing online advertising until about 3 years ago, where my best days were $4k profit per day for about over a month straight. Ive had other similar campaigns. This is going from zero experience to a year or two of trying different things. Its MUCH harder now then it was back then, and I know beyond all reasonable doubt I would be sitting on a lot larger bankroll had I played things differently 10 years ago.

Just reading his wiki and apparently he can even beat Russia's Putin in Judo. I usually take everyone's success with a grain of salt but this guy seems to have it all. Real Life Tony Stark?