The First Billion is the Hardest, T. Boone Pickens
The First Billion is the Hardest, T. Boone Pickens
10 Rating(s)
List: $17.50 | Sale: $12.25
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The First Billion is the Hardest
Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America's Energy Future

Author: T. Boone Pickens

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Unabridged: 8 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/09/2008


Synopsis

Now eighty years old, T. Boone Pickens is a legendary figure in the business world. Known as the “Oracle of Oil,” he built Mesa Petroleum, one of the largest independent oil companies in the United States. When Pickens left Mesa after a downward spiral in the company’s profits, many counted him out.  What followed for him was the loss of 90 percent of his investing capital. But Pickens was far from out.

He went on to stage one of the most impressive comebacks in the industry, turning his investment fund’s remaining $3 million into $8 billion. That made him, at age seventy-seven, the world’s second-highest-paid hedge fund manager. Today, Pickens is making some of the world’s most colossal energy bets.

In this audiobook, Pickens not only presents a comprehensive plan for American energy independence but also provides a fascinating glimpse into key resources. The First Billion Is the Hardest is both a riveting account of a life spent pulling off improbable triumphs and a report back from the front of the global energy and natural-resource wars.

About The Author

T. Boone Pickens is, in his ninth decade, the very active strategic and managerial force behind BP Capital, one of America’s most successful energy-investment companies. Currently, Pickens ranks among the world’s richest men. He lives with his wife in the Dallas—Fort Worth area and at his ranch in the Texas Panhandle.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Scot on November 30, 2008

The book, for me, was a great introduction to T. Boone. After seeing Pickens on commercials and several news spots throughout the recent election, I wanted to know more about his business career and to gain a deeper understanding for the motivation of his "Pickens Plan". The book answered some quest......more

Goodreads review by Noah on August 09, 2022

i wanted more boone-isms and crazy stories. he had lots of random stuff like his workout routine which idgaf so prefer that would be cut. overall fun stuff just not as pow pow of wild stuff that he did which i think he could have included. Had bunch of blah blah. Just tell me cool stories..¯\_(ツ)_/¯......more

Goodreads review by Library of on January 27, 2021

T. Boone Pickens was an American oil magnate and financier who made a career in oil exploration in the 1950s and 1960s and became a (in)famous corporate raider in the 1980s. In 2019 Picken’s net worth amounted to $1.4bn and he gave away almost as much during his life. The book was published in 2008......more

Goodreads review by Scott on February 13, 2011

Interesting story of the life and experiences of T. Boone Pickens. The biggest strengths of the book come in the last few chapters in which he discusses recent large ventures in water and wind energy and lays out his plan for a dramatic change in U.S. Energy policy. Though his energy plan is self-se......more

Goodreads review by BuenoBomb on February 09, 2015

Very interesting story. Definitely enjoyed the read.......more