He Came To America With Nothing… Now He Funds $1 Billion Companies | Mike Sherbakov

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Mike Sherbakov came to America from Russia at five years old, with a family chasing freedom and starting from nothing.

As a child, he slept in a dresser drawer. As a young man, 9/11 pushed him into the Marine Corps.

There, he learned the lesson that shaped everything: when you think you’re done, you’re not even close. After the military, Mike refused a life with a ceiling.

He built his first fitness business, sold companies, made angel investments, and slowly became the kind of investor founders fight to have on their cap table. His portfolio has grown to 130 companies, with outcomes reaching into the billions.

Today, through The Veteran Fund, he backs veteran-led companies building critical technology across defense, space, energy, AI, robotics, and the future of America.

This is a conversation about freedom, discipline, risk, immigration, military grit, venture capital, and why the best founders are usually the ones who refuse to quit.


00:00 Intro
01:13 Immigration, Freedom, and Family Lessons
12:52 Marine Corps Lessons and Entrepreneurship
16:20 Veteran Leadership in Business
20:53 Venture Capital Basics and 100x Returns
32:08 Early Businesses and Becoming an Investor
42:22 First Checks and Investor Mistakes
46:43 Founder Track Records and Strategic Capital
53:09 AI, Software, and Space Investing
56:59 Future Industries and Venture Fund Mechanics
01:13:35 SPVs, Deal Flow, and Fundraising Lessons
01:18:50 Final Principles and Closing


Find Mike Sherbakov here
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikesherbakov/

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