If you were hoping to learn about venture capitalist Yuri Milner’s investing style, you got a whole lot more than you might have bargained for.
Billionaire Investor Yuri Milner Has 50 TVs in His Home (And Other Fun Facts)
Milner was named -- like many other Russian boys born in 1961 -- for the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin.
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Wall Street Journal special writer Monica Langley indulged in a high-toned version of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” quizzing the billionaire founder of DST Global on his eating habits, his taste in apparel and the origins of his name.
Here’s what we learned about Milner Wednesday at the Wall Street Journal’s WSJDLive conference at The Montage in Laguna Beach, Calif.
- Milner prefers simple foods — salmon, plain white omelet. Why’s that? “I lack imagination,” he quipped.
- The Russian investor has an uncomplicated sartorial style, favoring pinstriped suits at business events or Nike shirts and shorts on more casual occasions. “I’m just trying to simplify my life to every extent possible,” Milner said. “If you limit your choices, you can spend more time doing something else.”
- What’s the origin of his name? Milner was named — like many other Russian boys born in 1961 — for the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. “It was obviously a major scientific and technological achievement,” said Milner. “Which drove me to be a physicist … Then, I abandoned science and went into business.”
- Milner’s home uses television sets in place of artwork — 50 flat-screen TVs, to be precise, which Milner hopes will one day display images from the Kepler spacecraft.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
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