And eventually founded Apex Harbor Capital with three colleagues who believed patient, disciplined investing could create value without treating every transaction like a winner-take-all contest.
Our first office was above a coffee shop.
We had four desks.
Two meeting rooms.
An unreliable printer.
And a conference table one partner purchased secondhand.
We argued about expenses.
Worked weekends.
Lost deals.
And celebrated small victories with takeout food and paper cups of coffee.
Then we began attracting larger institutional investors.
Pension funds.
Insurance companies.
Family offices.
And organizations looking for long-term financing opportunities.
Our strategy focused on infrastructure, transportation, industrial technology, and businesses whose future depended upon reliable operations.
I liked companies that provided real services.
Airports.
Logistics systems.
Energy infrastructure.
Aircraft maintenance networks.
Businesses where people with practical expertise mattered as much as the executives presenting slides.
Over time, Apex Harbor grew.
The firm managed billions of dollars across several funds and investment vehicles.
I remained its largest individual owner and managing partner, but the money under management wasn't mine personally.
It belonged to investors with contractual rights and expectations.
That distinction was important.
When newspapers described me as controlling billions, they rarely explained that I couldn't simply move investor funds whenever I became angry.
Every major commitment was governed by agreements, committees, fiduciary obligations, and professional oversight.
Money wasn't a weapon I was free to swing at people who offended me.
It was a responsibility.
And that responsibility was why I was on Flight 408.
Northstar Meridian Airways was preparing to expand its international operations.
The company had announced plans to acquire or lease a new generation of long-range aircraft, upgrade several maintenance facilities, and modernize its passenger technology.
The expansion was expensive.
The airline needed significant financing.
Traditional lenders were willing to participate, but some were concerned about the company's operating performance and cash requirements.
Apex Harbor led a financing group prepared to provide a seven-hundred-million-dollar committed facility under negotiated terms.
The facility wasn't a gift.
It wasn't a personal favor.
And it wasn't money I could withdraw on a whim.
It was a sophisticated agreement involving independent investors, legal counsel, credit committees, security arrangements, reporting requirements, and conditions governing when funds could be released.
The airline had agreed to provide accurate material disclosures, comply with specified legal and operational obligations, and notify the financing group of certain significant events.