Evan Spiegel: Snapchat CEO & Billionaire

Innovator, CEO

Snapchat Co-founder


EVAN SPIEGEL


Wears Black Shirt, Black Suit...

Blacked-out Rolex Explorer

 By DANNY CRIVELLO

I was one of the early adopters of Snapchat. I immediately created a Rolex Magazine account, I invested in the company, and I was the first geo-filter creator of my town. (A geo-filter adds a fun watermark to your picture based on your location.)

While I had used and enjoyed Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, there was something about Snapchat's CEO, Evan Spiegel, and his unparalleled innovations⁠—later copied by Instagram and Facebook⁠—that made me want to look into this southern California company. 

Evan Spiegel dropped out of Stanford while co-founding Snapchat, the ephemeral picture and video app that made many of the sub-24-year-olds stop using Facebook. The app became so wildly popular that, in 2013, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly offered $3 billion to buy it. But Evan turned him down. In 2016, Google floated an offer of $30 billion, which was rebuffed as well.

Evan dropped out a few credits short of earning his Stanford degree. I've always found that choosing a startup over a degree takes guts⁠—especially from a school with a superior academic reputation—but that list includes names like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. 

Today, Evan is one of the youngest billionaires in the U.S. But as with any tech billionaire, his wealth is linked to the company’s performance and fluctuating stocks.

Above, for his company's first day of trade on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017⁠—under the symbol SNAP⁠—Evan is wearing his blacked-out Rolex Explorer. Below, he is often invited at tech conferences, shedding light on an industry often misunderstood by anybody 40 and above. The billionaire is always rocking a black t-shirt and his matching under-the-radar Rolex.

The California native is an admirer of French culture and has long learned to speak the language. In 2018, he decided to become a French citizen but hasn't renounced his US citizenship. (Good choice, I'm also a US-French dual citizen.) Below, with French president Emmanuel Macron. His Explorer is not only telling time; it's telling history⁠⁠—his.

Evan has no relatives in France. He was naturalized based on Article 21-21 of the French Civil Code, which allows its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a citizenship to a French-speaking foreigner that has contributed to the "shining of France and its prosperity of international economic relations." I guess Snapchat is that good.

Evan is married to Miranda Kerr, an Australian model from Sydney. She was the first Australian model for Victoria Secret. She is 36. Evan is 29.

In the videos below, we see Evan rocking his blacked-out Rolex Explorer in action.

Stuntman Vic Armstrong

...Rolex Coolness...

Vic Armstrong  

Stuntman and Stunt Coordinator 

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Live and Let Die, Return of the Jedi and Superman are just a small sample of the films, Vic Armstrong has worked on as a stuntman and stunt coordinator, in addition to directing films.  He has over 50 years of experience and has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone.

In 2001 Vic received a Technical Achievement Academy Award for "the Fan Descender for accurately and safely arresting the descent of stunt persons in high free-falls. In 2002 he received the BAFA Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema

Armstrong doubled for Harrison Ford in the first three Indiana Jones films and they looked so alike that crew members on set would mistake Armstrong for Ford.  Ford signed a picture for Armstrong, taken on the set of The Last Crusade with the message: Vic, if you learn to talk I am in deep trouble!

In the photo below we see Director Steven Spielberg with Vic Armstrong and Harrison Ford on the set of Temple of Doom & notice Vic is rocking his Rolex Submariner!

Armstrong has worn a Rolex Submariner Reference 1680 for over 40 years. This Submariner has a couple of extra details that make it quite special. Armstrong's Submariner came from famed jewelry company Tiffany & Co which used to sell Rolex watches in the past.  As part of their agreement with the crown, Tiffany & Co were allowed to print their name on the dial of the watch and these watches that feature Tiffany & Co on the dial are coveted by collectors today. 

The other cool factor of the watch, it was gifted to Armstrong by legendary Canadian actor, Donald Sutherland!.  How do we know this?  Armstrong mentions the back story, as to how he received the watch in his book:  The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman: My Life as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman and Other Movie Heroes

Sutherland also had the watch engraved on back, relating to something that happened on the set of the 1979 film, Bear Island, in which Armstrong doubled as Sutherland's character.  

 We know Sutherland is a Rolex fan and he is pictured below wearing his yellow gold GMT-Master

This special Submariner has accompanied Armstrong to film sets around the world. Armstrong is pictured below wearing it on the set of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, standing next to his wife Wendy Leech, who is a stuntwoman and doubled for Kate Capshaw in the film. Armstrong and Leech met on the set of Superman II, where Armstrong doubled as Superman and Leech doubled for Lois Lane.

Vic Armstrong is pictured below on the set of The Mummy 3, and notice he is wearing his Submariner with his Tuxedo...

Kenny Rogers Two Tone Rolex Datejust...

...Country Music Superstar...

Kenny Rogers

Belongs To The Ages

1938-2020

Beloved singer-songwriter Kenny Rogers passed away today at the age of 81. Rogers is one of the most successful recording artists of all time, as well as being a member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame. To date he has sold over 100 Million records. Kenny Rogers began his musical career in a jazz band, and went on to found a band named Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, which was kind of a pop band. Then in his solo career, he went on to become the country superstar we think of today.

Kenny Rogers is pictured below with his former wife, Marianne Gordon, as they were married from 1977 to 1993.

Kenny Rogers is pictured below with fellow legendary recording artist Ray Charles.

In this photo from the early 1980s we see Kenny Rogers with Linda Carter who played Wonder Woman, and we see him below sporting his two tone Rolex Datejust.

Kenny Rogers is pictured below wearing his Rolex Datejust posing with Kim Carnes (center), and James Ingram (left).

Kenny Rogers recorded the iconic 1980 mega-hit, 'Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" with Kim Carnes which you can watch below.

Kenny Rogers was very close with Dolly Parton and we see the two of them together performing on stage.

You never know how much you love somebody until they’re gone. I’ve had so many wonderful years and wonderful times with my friend Kenny, but above all the music and the success I loved him as a wonderful man and a true friend. pic.twitter.com/hIQLIvt8pr

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 21, 2020

Richard Hammond Goes On A Road Trip In A Tesla Model X

Richard Hammond 

Goes On A Road Trip In A Tesla Model X

I just published this article on Jake's Tesla World, which features Richard Hammond rocking his GMT-Master. Richard Hammond takes a Tesla Model X on a road-trip with his wife where he has his first Supercharging experience.

Al Worden: Belongs To The Ages 1932-2020

NASA Apollo 15 Astronaut

Al Worden

1932-2020

Belongs To The Ages

This is a story I have been planning on writing for a while, but when I discovered NASA Al Worden passed away yesterday at age 88, I thought now would be a good time. Al Worden was one of only 24 people who flew to the moon, which he orbited 74 times in the NASA Command Module Endeavor. Al Worden is now being added to the long list of Apollo Astronauts who wore a Pepsi Rolex GMT-Master as seen below on his wrist.

Al Worden as born Alfred Merrill Worden. Worden was an Air Force Test Pilot and an instructor at the Aerospace Research Pilots School located in Farnborough, England. Worden went o to serve as a pilot from 1957 to 1961 in the 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron headquartered at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. 

During his military flight career he logged more that 4,000 hours of flight time, which included 2,500 hours flying jets.

In the photo below we see Al Worden in 1968 at NASA's Langley Research Center located in Hampton, Virginia which is the oldest NASA field center, and notice he is wearing his Pepsi GMT-Master.

The photo above shows Al Worden in 1968 with fellow NASA Apollo Astronaut, Stuart Roosa, and notice on Al Worden's wrist we get a clear positive ID of his Oyster Bracelet. 

APOLLO 15

1971

The NASA Apollo 15 Mission launched July 26, 1971 @ 13:34:00.6 UTC on a Saturn V AS-510 Rocket and flew to the Moon. Al Worden (center) was the Command Module Pilot, along with David Scott (left) and Lunar Module Pilot, James Irwin who is pictured on the right.

In the photo below we see the Apollo 15 launch vehicle as it is being rolled out to the launchpad Kennedy LC-39A.

In the photo below we see Irwin saluting the camera with the Lunar Rover Vehicle on the moon.

Apollo 15 was the first mission to the moon that used the Lunar Vehicle on the moon. This was an amazing feat as bring a car to the moon surface as part of the payload created a huge challenge. The Lunar Rover was was made by Boeing at a total cost of $40 Million and could be folded into a tiny footprint of 5feet by 20 inches (1.5 m by 0.5 m), and it only weighed 460 pounds (209 kg). The rover could carry two astronauts and could be driven at speeds up to 6 to 8 MPH (10 to 12 KM/H). The lunar rover was innovative as it allowed Astronauts to travel far afield from their lunar lander while being able to conduct scientific experiments.

The photo below taken on August 2, 1971 shows the Apollo 15 Command & Service Module in lunar orbit in a photo that was taken from the Apollo Lunar Module, Falcon.

Al Worden took the photo of earth during the translunar coast. The caption from this images states: 

"The view of Earth taken during the Translunar Coast from the distance of about 25.000 to 30.000 nautical miles from Earth. South America is to the left. Central America is in the upper center. The gulf of Mexico and Florida is seen to the lower right of Central America. North America is in the upper right. The north-west part of Africa is seen in the lower right."

 This photo reminds me of Carl Sagan's ultra profound Pale Blue Dot speech which can be seen below:

The Need For Speed

In the photo below we see Al Worden posing during a racing event at the Daytona International Raceway.

Below is a fascinating list of NASA Astronauts, Test Pilots and NASA Flight Directors I have discovered and documented wearing Rolex watches over the past dozen years:

Chuck Yeager of Edwards Air Force Base was first to break sound barrier in 1947 while wearing a Rolex Perpetual Oyster.
William Knight of Edwards Air Force Base Fastest manned flight of Mach 6.7 (4,250 Miles Per Hour ins X-15 which is nearly 7 times the speed of sound) in 1967. John Glenn of Mercury 7. Wore a Pepsi and a yellow Gold Rolex GMT-Master.
Scott Carpenter of Mercury 7.
Walter Schirra of Mercury 8, Gemini 6A & Apollo 7. Wore a Pepsi GMT-Master.
Frank Borman of Gemini 7 and Apollo 8. Wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
Pete Conrad of Gemini 5, Gemini 11, Apollo 12, Skylab 2.
Richard Gordon Jr. of Gemini 11 and Apollo 12.
Jack Swigert of Apollo 13 (Wore his Pepsi GMT-Master to Moon).
James Lovell was a U.S. Navy Test Pilot and went onto NASA to participate in Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 & Apollo 13.
Stuart Roosa of Apollo 14 (Wore Pepsi GMT-Master to Moon).
Dr. Edgar Mitchell of Apollo 14 (Wore Pepsi GMT-Master to Moon).
Al Worden of Apollo 15 (Wore Pepsi GMT-Master).
Alan Shepard of Mercury 3 & Apollo 14 (Worn A Pepsi-GMT Master on Cape Canaveral & Possibly To The Moon).
Ronald Evans of Apollo 17 (Wore a Pepsi GMT-Master to Moon).
Eugene Cernan of Gemini 9A, Apollo 10 & Apollo 17 (Wore a Pepsi GMT-Master Outside Space Suit and Possibly To The Moon).
Lloyd Blaine Hammond of 1991 Space Shuttle. Discovery Mission STS-39, and 1994 Space Shuttle Discover STS-94.
Dr. Leroy Chaio (Wore Pepsi GMT-Master on 3 Space Shuttle Missions and while Commander of the International Space Station Expedition 10).
Christopher Kraft founding NASA flight director.
Michael Collins of Apollo 11 wore a Rolex Turn-O-Graph, as well as a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date.
Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 wore a Rolex SEA-DWELLER.
Fred Haise of Apollo 13 as seen in this story wearing a yellow gold Rolex Datejust.
Albert Scott Crossfield who was an X-15 NASA spaceplane test pilot.