Ken Lerer and son Ben are the kings of New York City’s venture capital scene, says a new profile in New York Magazine. “The Lerers are a little Mafia-esque,” writes author Jessica Pressler, as she listens to them reflect on past successes between drinks at the back of a West Village restaurant where everyone seems to be either a friend or business partner. The duo is invested in 185 NYC startups, after all, and has already cashed out on several of them including The Huffington Post and OMGPop, the maker of Draw Something. More recent investments include glasses-maker Warby Parker and viral news site BuzzFeed. And then there’s Thrillist, Ben’s successful digital media company for “bros,” Pressler says.
The fabulous lives of venture capital kingmakers Ken and Ben Lerer
The secret to their success? “Ben knew the people who had the ideas [and] Ken knew the people who had the money,” writes Pressler. For the full story, head over to New York Magazine.
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