5 Hour Energy Billionaire Gives His Money Away

Princeton dropout turned 5 Hour Energy millionaire, Manoj Bhargava, is giving away billions of dollars that he “doesn’t need.” After dropping out of school because he was bored, Bhargava returned to his home country of India and launched the caffeine shot company, 5 Hour Energy, in 2004. Retail sales reached over $1 billion by 2011. He says he now has over 4 billion dollars, more than he needs, so he is going to use it to try and solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Bhargava likes work he says. “It’s not giving back. It’s what else am I going to do?”

First, his plan is to distribute 10,000 Free Electric battery-equipped bikes early next year. The bikes are supposed to power millions of homes worldwide that have little to no energy. They will be able to keep lights and basic appliances going all day long with only one hour of pedaling.

In addition to his solution for the world’s energy problem, Bhargava also wants to, “make saltwater drinkable, enhance circulation in the body, and secure limitless amounts of clean geothermal energy - via a graphene cord.”

Bhargava’s team has also created something called the Rain Maker to combat drought. It’s purpose is to convert 1,000 gallons an hour of any kind of water into drinkable water. He says that potable water could be piped from offshore with this machine which is currently being tested at a desalination research facility in New Mexico.

His projects are progressive, using the money not only for immediate relief but also for innovation. His team is still working to find more efficient ways to provide basic resources for the corners of the world that need them.