Just east of Princeton University in central New Jersey lies Lake Carnegie, a three-mile stretch of glistening, tree-lined water that teems with swans, herons, and other wildlife. It was here in 2011 that freshman Nader Al-Naji found himself many mornings, straining his muscles at dawn alongside other members of the crew team. His fellow Princeton rowers would go on to become Olympians and executives at prestigious firms like JP Morgan and Tesla.
Al-Naji, a gifted storyteller, would also take his place among the American elite. He built a network among the cream of Silicon Valley where he dangled world-changing visions, leading investors to later describe him as a startup founder out of central casting. Al-Naji would ultimately charm the likes of Sequoia and Google into pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into his startups. But his bold visions rested on illusion.
