I have done dozens of interviews with A List celebrities, the rich and powerful, and even a head of state. I say this not to brag but to give you context. This was the first time I'd ever been asked to conduct and interview in public. A fairly popular coffee shop in downtown Phoenix, Arizona was the setting for our meeting. One of those places that if you didn't know it was there you wouldn't find it, but those who did never went anywhere else. I was very surprised when I arrived half an hour early to find the subject already seated. I had been told he was punctual. This was another thing altogether. Rarely was anyone early when they didn't have to be, and it was never unannounced. Ever.
He was seated at a table in the corner and busy tapping away at his smart phone when I walked in the door. He didn't look up so I took the moment to asses him. Adam Ess was someone no one had heard of two years ago. He was a professional card player out of Vegas who took his money and invested it into a number of good choices and businesses that thrived to the point that no one was entirely sure how much money he actually had. Forbes estimated it at about $300 million but even the author (an old college roommate of mine) admitted she wasn't entirely sure. He was a relatively quiet figure even in the world of poker, with its international tournaments and television coverage on six major networks. Ess stayed to the shadows and rarely competed in those events. He made his money off to the side with no cameras on him and my few inside sources told me that was the way he liked things. He would have remained anonymous if not for his interest in football. A dozen rumors had sprung up since he had come from nowhere to accept the GM position for the NSFL's Arizona Outlaws franchise, whose stadium was in sight of the shop I stood in.
Like many things regarding this man, the rumors were tenuous at best. Little was really known about him or his life. He was in his late 30s. Dirty blond with a beard and a ponytail. The kind of build that said he was familiar with the gym but didn't live there. Married. One child. A Bachelor's form UNLV in Personal Finance and a second in Hospitality Management. He was a run of the mill kicker for the team for two seasons. Somewhere in between he began playing poker, won a lot of money, and according to my personal research once appeared on a PBS telethon after giving them a million dollars. That's about it.
He finally glanced up and noticed I was standing near the door and waved me over. He stood up for me and shook my hand enthusiastically before holding up one finger silently and then typing more on his phone. he sat, seemingly forgetting I was there for a moment so I sat too. Finally he put down the phone and grinned at me. He motioned for me to get my recording equipment and start it, so I did. He finished his work soon after and smiled again. Some people smiled and you could tell it was fake or real. Ess smiled and you could tell that the guy just liked smiling. It was one of those easy, bright smiles that crinkled the growing crow's feet at the corner of his eyes.
Adam Ess: Sorry. Deep negotiations. I think the Sabercats are about to be ASFC winners. Anyway. Thanks for taking the time to meet me Lyndsey. Feel free to start whenever. Hit whatever you want. I'm pretty open. And if I'm not gonna answer I'll tell you.
Me: Okay. Who exactly are you?
He laughed and his body shook. The laughter felt genuine and warm.
AE: I honestly figured you'd ask about Tuck or one of those things. But..I guess I'm downplaying how much it matters to people to know about me. I'm a guy who got money and made more money with it. Then I decided to do football. There's not too much else to tell. I'm pretty boring. No big scandals or skeletons. I listen to Nickelback occasionally. That might be the most controversial part of my personal life.
Me: There are a lot of rumors and questions surrounding you though. For example that money you talked about getting came from poker, and yet almost none of the biggest names in the game can place you without help from others. Some people have questioned whether or not your background is real based on that.
AE: There are people who still question if we landed on the moon even though a bunch of countries that would love to embarrass us went there and didn't say anything. If you tell people the paint is wet, they usually try to touch it. Humans are suspicious by nature. And the truth is I tend to avoid games where successful poker players are playing. So most of them actually don't know me. I'm fine with that. Just like I'm fine with your roommate at Duke not knowing how much money I actually have.
I was stunned and it must've showed based on his huge grin.
AE: To be fair it was my assistant who did the research so I can't take credit for that. Worth it though. But the point stands. What I have is between me and the government of...uhh...I think 4 countries now. Anyone who wants to know about the Outlaws needs to know about the portion of me that pertains to the team. Not the Dairy Queen I just opened in St. George last month. Or how many that makes in the city. Or whatever other ties I have to businesses where I have them. I came to this team to change things. If people need to know about what I own, then they can be happy knowing I bought 10% of the team before any of this started. That wasn't public information by the way. I'm sure you'd have found it. But it is what it is. I'm invested.
GRADED
He was seated at a table in the corner and busy tapping away at his smart phone when I walked in the door. He didn't look up so I took the moment to asses him. Adam Ess was someone no one had heard of two years ago. He was a professional card player out of Vegas who took his money and invested it into a number of good choices and businesses that thrived to the point that no one was entirely sure how much money he actually had. Forbes estimated it at about $300 million but even the author (an old college roommate of mine) admitted she wasn't entirely sure. He was a relatively quiet figure even in the world of poker, with its international tournaments and television coverage on six major networks. Ess stayed to the shadows and rarely competed in those events. He made his money off to the side with no cameras on him and my few inside sources told me that was the way he liked things. He would have remained anonymous if not for his interest in football. A dozen rumors had sprung up since he had come from nowhere to accept the GM position for the NSFL's Arizona Outlaws franchise, whose stadium was in sight of the shop I stood in.
Like many things regarding this man, the rumors were tenuous at best. Little was really known about him or his life. He was in his late 30s. Dirty blond with a beard and a ponytail. The kind of build that said he was familiar with the gym but didn't live there. Married. One child. A Bachelor's form UNLV in Personal Finance and a second in Hospitality Management. He was a run of the mill kicker for the team for two seasons. Somewhere in between he began playing poker, won a lot of money, and according to my personal research once appeared on a PBS telethon after giving them a million dollars. That's about it.
He finally glanced up and noticed I was standing near the door and waved me over. He stood up for me and shook my hand enthusiastically before holding up one finger silently and then typing more on his phone. he sat, seemingly forgetting I was there for a moment so I sat too. Finally he put down the phone and grinned at me. He motioned for me to get my recording equipment and start it, so I did. He finished his work soon after and smiled again. Some people smiled and you could tell it was fake or real. Ess smiled and you could tell that the guy just liked smiling. It was one of those easy, bright smiles that crinkled the growing crow's feet at the corner of his eyes.
Adam Ess: Sorry. Deep negotiations. I think the Sabercats are about to be ASFC winners. Anyway. Thanks for taking the time to meet me Lyndsey. Feel free to start whenever. Hit whatever you want. I'm pretty open. And if I'm not gonna answer I'll tell you.
Me: Okay. Who exactly are you?
He laughed and his body shook. The laughter felt genuine and warm.
AE: I honestly figured you'd ask about Tuck or one of those things. But..I guess I'm downplaying how much it matters to people to know about me. I'm a guy who got money and made more money with it. Then I decided to do football. There's not too much else to tell. I'm pretty boring. No big scandals or skeletons. I listen to Nickelback occasionally. That might be the most controversial part of my personal life.
Me: There are a lot of rumors and questions surrounding you though. For example that money you talked about getting came from poker, and yet almost none of the biggest names in the game can place you without help from others. Some people have questioned whether or not your background is real based on that.
AE: There are people who still question if we landed on the moon even though a bunch of countries that would love to embarrass us went there and didn't say anything. If you tell people the paint is wet, they usually try to touch it. Humans are suspicious by nature. And the truth is I tend to avoid games where successful poker players are playing. So most of them actually don't know me. I'm fine with that. Just like I'm fine with your roommate at Duke not knowing how much money I actually have.
I was stunned and it must've showed based on his huge grin.
AE: To be fair it was my assistant who did the research so I can't take credit for that. Worth it though. But the point stands. What I have is between me and the government of...uhh...I think 4 countries now. Anyone who wants to know about the Outlaws needs to know about the portion of me that pertains to the team. Not the Dairy Queen I just opened in St. George last month. Or how many that makes in the city. Or whatever other ties I have to businesses where I have them. I came to this team to change things. If people need to know about what I own, then they can be happy knowing I bought 10% of the team before any of this started. That wasn't public information by the way. I'm sure you'd have found it. But it is what it is. I'm invested.
Code:
1049
GRADED