Carl Pei: 10 Things You Might Not Know About The Nothing Founder
From his Steve Jobs bobblehead to his undying love for ice cream, here are some fun facts about Carl Pei.
He is the man of the hour at the moment. A person who is seemingly following the Steve Jobs trajectory. Someone who left the uber-successful OnePlus in its prime to start a brand new tech company. And his new brand is gaining a lot of attention too. If you haven't guessed it yet, we are talking about the former OnePlus co-founder and now the founder and CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei. After the launch of its TWS, the Ear 1, Carl Pei’s brand is now all set to launch its first smartphone, Phone 1.
The Nothing Phone 1 has managed to monopolise headlines with just a few glimpses, which does not come as a surprise considering it comes from Pei’s brand. But who exactly is Carl Pei? While many know that he was one of the forces behind OnePlus and is now building Nothing, there is more to the man than just his association with two big names in tech.
Here are ten little-known things that will tell you something about the Nothing guy, Carl Pei:
An average student + a college dropout = tech sensation?
It might not seem believable to many but Pei had been quite an average student all his life. He mentions that he was interested in subjects like Science and Philosophy but because he had a short attention span, he often had trouble getting top grades in school. While he got into college to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Stockholm, he soon dropped out and started working in the Chinese smartphone industry.
Techie from the beginning
While he had a hard time focussing in school, attention was the least of his troubles once he used to get back from school. As a student, Pei admits that he used to spend as little time in school as possible, and used to come back home to spend time on his computer. All that missed school time certainly paid off.
Used to wear the same T-shirt every day
Up until a few years ago, Carl Pei confessed that he wore the same T-shirt every day. This might sound gross but he actually had nine of the exact same T-shirts which he used to wear every day. Oh, the quirks of being a genius.
A Steve Jobs admirer
Even though he has been team Android since the beginning, the admiration Pei has for Steve Jobs comes across loud and clear. He has a similar career path too — both co-founded a successful tech brand and then moved on to start their own venture. Pei also has a small Steve Jobs bobblehead on his desk. He even went to see the Jobs movie barefoot, offering a tribute to the tech legend.
Used to live out of his suitcase, Airbnbs
With a net worth of millions, you would think Carl Pei lives life millionaire-style but that is far from true. For a long time, everything Pei owed could fit in one suitcase. And that makes sense considering that he rents Airbnbs on a monthly basis. Neither did he have an extensive wardrobe (nine t-shirts, remember?) nor did he have a permanent address of his own. He used to simply pack and move.
Can work from… McDonald’s
While CEOs and co-founders are usually very particular about their workspace and desks, Pei could not be more different. The Nothing CEO can work from pretty much anywhere, even a fast food restaurant. Pei recently shared a picture on his social media where he can be seen with his laptop, working from…McDonald’s. We are sure he was lovin’ it!
He loves ice cream
Time and again, Carl Pei has confessed his love for ice cream on his social media page. Ice cream tubs, ice cream cones, ice cream cups…you name it and you will find a picture of it on his social media page. Cannot say we do not approve. It is ice cream, after all.
Anime fan
During an ‘ask me anything’ session on Instagram, Pei once revealed that he is an anime fan. He even dressed as Naruto Uzumaki from the popular Japanese Manga series for Halloween in 2019 and shared a picture of himself enjoying a bowl of noodles on the platform.
Brains behind killer taglines
The world knows he is a marketing wiz but not many know that the famous OnePlus tagline “Never Settle” is Pei’s brainchild. He has a knack for such short yet impactful taglines. The very popular term “Flagship Killer” was also coined by Pei. No wonder Nothing is making headlines.
Tech was becoming boring, so he did something about it: Nothing
People start companies to pursue ambitions or leverage an opportunity. Pei did it because he was, in best Gladiator mode, not entertained! In an interview, Pei mentioned that he used to watch smartphone launches but realised that phones today had become quite boring. Consumers also seemed indifferent and companies seemed to be intentionally holding back features. He decided to do something about it. By doing Nothing (or rather, launching it). We will know if he was successful when the Phone 1 hits the market. You can be sure that the launch will be anything but boring!
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