The applause had died down by the time Jack Owoc mounted the stage in a Manhattan conference venue in June, a microphone in one hand, an energy shot in the other. He moved in to fist-bump the outstretched palm of the moderator, then sidestepped him. Four hundred pairs of eyes surveyed the billionaire. He wore a shiny Renaissance-meets-Miaminightclub blazer, an even shinier button-up, New Balance sneakers, and a joyless expression. Slung around his neck were two thick gold chains, and on his chest rested a big, bedazzled lowercase B—the logo of his company, Bang Energy. Through his veins coursed the caffeine equivalent of about nine cups of coffee.
“God bless you guys,” Owoc said. “Look, we’ve got to take this up a notch so can I ask everybody to stand up, please, because this is Bang Energy, I exude energy, I am energy.”
He flashed a faint smile. A handful of people clapped. One lone voice hollered.
“I need you to take out your Bang and take a sip because we got to get up the energy level in here,” Owoc said. He motioned to the crowd. By their feet were 16-ounce cans of Bang: the source of Owoc’s fortune and perhaps the most improbable success story in the beverage industry. Each has enough caffeine to make a heart race an entire afternoon.
“Let’s all have a Bang together,” Owoc said and took a swig from his shot.
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