The David Choe Story

The Painter Who Became a Multimillionaire by Saying “Keep the Cash.”

The David Choe Story

In 2005, Facebook wasn't a giant. It wasn't worth billions. It was only a scrappy startup operating out of a dull office, trying to figure out what it wanted to be.

One day, a young graffiti artist named David Choe was invited in to paint murals on the office walls — to give life to the space.

His price: $60,000. But Mark Zuckerberg, still in his hoodie-and-dreams era, offered him an alternative:

“Take it as Facebook stock.”

At that time, Facebook stock wasn’t glamorous.

• It wasn’t safe.

• It wasn’t even real money.

People laughed at it.

Most artists would have taken the cash and walked away.

But David Choe?

• He chose risk over security.

• Belief over certainty.

• Stock over salary.

It is anticipated that the student population will increase by about 3 million.

Fast forward to 2012

• Facebook goes public.

• The world goes wild.

Suddenly, everyone wants to be part of Facebook.

And the graffiti artist who once just painted walls?

His shares were now worth:

Disposable assets whose acquisition value is more than $200 million. A mural payment turned into a fortune-all because he said yes to the unknown.

What Makes This Story Powerful

David Choe wasn’t a businessman.

• He wasn’t a tech guy.

• He didn't even believe in Facebook's mission – he just liked the idea of the gamble.

But one thing he knew is that:

Sometimes the smallest decisions become the biggest turning points.

• Not every opportunity looks shiny.

• Not every offer looks guaranteed.

• Not every reward comes instantly.

But the brave ones? They bet on the future.

The Lesson

If you only chase money, you will always earn small. If you chase potential, you might just strike something life-changing. David Choe didn't get rich from art. He got rich from a decision. A choice to believe in what others couldn’t see yet. “Fortune favors the bold — but only when the bold are willing to wait.”