A Conversation with Brian Pierce
Inventor, Industrialist, Philanthropist, Explorer, Self-Made Millionaire
Interview by Sheila Harrington / Photography by Vonnie Harrington
I met millionaire industrialist Brian Pierce early last year at a Ballmargath press conference, where he introduced the anthropologists who would accompany him on a two-month research expedition to Tillangchong Island in Iliharawa. Afterwards, as he was talking with several radio reporters, he noticed me waiting, notepad in hand, for an opportunity to speak with him. I was quite surprised when he graciously excused himself from that conversation and approached me, smiling. He extended his hand and said, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Brian Pierce." He was dripping with confidence and strikingly handsome, tall, dark and somewhat exotic, but it was his friendly, approachable demeanor that I found both impressive and at the same time quite disarming.
Brian Pierce was thrust upon the world stage in 1971, when at the age of 22 he secured a patent for the world's first successful point-contact transistor, giving rise to the exciting new science of solid state electronics. The following year, he graduated from the Lishconnor Polytechnic Institute, was awarded the Bolen Prize for Physics, and formed the Pierce Transistor Corporation, which made him a multi-millionaire before he turned 25.
Since then Pierce Transistor has grown into Pierce Technologies, Inc., and his business interests have expanded to include the Pierce Motorcar Co., Pierce Manufacturing Corp., Pierce Communications Co., Pierce Aeronautics Co. and Pierce Labs, Inc., all controlled under the umbrella of multi-national conglomerate Pierce Holdings Ltd. In 1975 he established the Pierce Foundation, an international charitable effort that currently distributes over §20 million annually to worthy causes around the world.
He is a world class outdoorsman and explorer, financing and personally leading over a dozen scientific expeditions to remote destinations across the globe. He pilots his own gyroplane, and holds several air speed records. He is also an avid yachtsman, and has captained his racing yacht the Arrow to several Transtorrean Cup victories. His passion for speed holds true on land as well -- he has raced his Pierce Arrow-Eight competitively on the Grand Prix circuit for the past nine years.
Brian Pierce has dined with kings and princes. He regularly meets with government officials around the globe. He has co-authored scholarly papers with some of the world's most renowned scientists and brought some of the most innovative consumer products to market. Yet despite his extraordinarily high public profile, very little else is known about Érivon’s most enigmatic celebrity.
Back on that day at the press conference in Ballmargath, I asked him if he'd be willing to sit down for an interview to talk about the more personal side of his life. He told me he was focusing on organizing the Tillangchong expedition, but that upon his return I should call to discuss the matter. He may not have really meant that, but I took him up on the offer last Fovar. It took a bit of work to accommodate his active schedule, but I was finally able to meet with him several weeks ago at his penthouse suite in East Ballmargath. I found him to be as charming as I remembered, and even more interesting than I expected...
I met millionaire industrialist Brian Pierce early last year at a Ballmargath press conference, where he introduced the anthropologists who would accompany him on a two-month research expedition to Tillangchong Island in Iliharawa. Afterwards, as he was talking with several radio reporters, he noticed me waiting, notepad in hand, for an opportunity to speak with him. I was quite surprised when he graciously excused himself from that conversation and approached me, smiling. He extended his hand and said, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Brian Pierce." He was dripping with confidence and strikingly handsome, tall, dark and somewhat exotic, but it was his friendly, approachable demeanor that I found both impressive and at the same time quite disarming.
Brian Pierce was thrust upon the world stage in 1971, when at the age of 22 he secured a patent for the world's first successful point-contact transistor, giving rise to the exciting new science of solid state electronics. The following year, he graduated from the Lishconnor Polytechnic Institute, was awarded the Bolen Prize for Physics, and formed the Pierce Transistor Corporation, which made him a multi-millionaire before he turned 25.
Since then Pierce Transistor has grown into Pierce Technologies, Inc., and his business interests have expanded to include the Pierce Motorcar Co., Pierce Manufacturing Corp., Pierce Communications Co., Pierce Aeronautics Co. and Pierce Labs, Inc., all controlled under the umbrella of multi-national conglomerate Pierce Holdings Ltd. In 1975 he established the Pierce Foundation, an international charitable effort that currently distributes over §20 million annually to worthy causes around the world.
He is a world class outdoorsman and explorer, financing and personally leading over a dozen scientific expeditions to remote destinations across the globe. He pilots his own gyroplane, and holds several air speed records. He is also an avid yachtsman, and has captained his racing yacht the Arrow to several Transtorrean Cup victories. His passion for speed holds true on land as well -- he has raced his Pierce Arrow-Eight competitively on the Grand Prix circuit for the past nine years.
Brian Pierce has dined with kings and princes. He regularly meets with government officials around the globe. He has co-authored scholarly papers with some of the world's most renowned scientists and brought some of the most innovative consumer products to market. Yet despite his extraordinarily high public profile, very little else is known about Érivon’s most enigmatic celebrity.
Back on that day at the press conference in Ballmargath, I asked him if he'd be willing to sit down for an interview to talk about the more personal side of his life. He told me he was focusing on organizing the Tillangchong expedition, but that upon his return I should call to discuss the matter. He may not have really meant that, but I took him up on the offer last Fovar. It took a bit of work to accommodate his active schedule, but I was finally able to meet with him several weeks ago at his penthouse suite in East Ballmargath. I found him to be as charming as I remembered, and even more interesting than I expected...
A Penthouse with a View
A View of East Ballmargath from Brian Pierce's Penthouse Suite
Sheila Harrington: Describe yourself in five words or less.
Brian Pierce: Passionate. Focused. Curious. Maybe intense?
SH: Of all your many accomplishments, which one are you most proud of?
BP: My foundation. No doubt. Since we started ten years ago we've been able to do so much good for so many people in need around the world, it's incredible. Last year alone we set up over fifty medical clinics and over 100 schools in some of of the world's poorest places. We're helping people in Nemed, Mammoulian, Jubalcain, Oblaria, Noam, the Neander and dozens of other countries that really need assistance. So yes. Without question I'm most proud of the great people working hard over at the Pierce Foundation.
SH: Tell me something most people would be surprised to know about you.
BP: I love to cook. I know, "a man in the kitchen." But I really do like the process of cooking a good meal. It started when I became interested in nutrition to promote better personal health. As my research progressed, I started trying different ways of preparing various foods, which led me to study the techniques of some of the world's greatest chefs. Before I knew it, I was creating delicious, sophisticated meals that were also very healthful and nutritious. I've really enjoyed working in the kitchen ever since. I'm always trying different things. Some of them turn out great and I'll make a note of them. The ones that don't turn out well I chalk up to experience. You never know until you try.
SH: What would you say is your most important strength?
BP: I think my greatest strength has been my ability to get things accomplished, to finish what I start. I don't let obstacles deter the progress I'm trying to make. I find ways to avoid them or get around them. And if I'm really on my game, I try to turn obstacles into assets. I also try to keep my eye on the long game, which helps me stay focused and able to navigate life's daily challenges with consistency.
SH: What's your greatest weakness?
BP: Well I'm extremely competitive, and if I'm not careful I can sometimes let that get a little out of hand. I can also be pretty demanding, frequently without even realizing it. As I just said, I can get very focused on a particular end result, and occasionally I ask too much of my team, when I really should be providing them with more or better resources to create more opportunities for them to succeed.
SH: You project such extreme self-confidence. Have you always been that way?
BP: Oh heavens, no. I have to work at it.
SH: What three people have had the most influence on you?
BP: Well I think the top two would be members of my family. But the third is definitely Ferid Zapalim, the Noamese engineer who developed the airship. A lot of people might be shocked or even upset to hear me say that. And I understand their feelings. But if you can get past the sentiments, and look at the life of the man, you have to see greatness. He had a revolutionary idea but nobody believed in him. So he did it all himself. He invested every penny he had and look what we have now. Look on the positive side. The entire air travel industry as we know it would not exist if it weren't for the vision and relentless perseverance of Ferid Zapalim. I've studied his life and taken an incredible amount of inspiration from him.
SH: What about the other two? How have they influenced you?
BP: I have a strict rule about not discussing members of my family.
SH: Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?
BP: At a certain point in my life I made a personal choice to become a public person. That placed certain responsibilities upon me, or more correctly I assumed those responsibilities as part of my choice. But no one else in my family has ever made that choice for themselves. And I have no right to make it for them.
SH: What's your biggest fear?
BP: Failure. Letting people down. Not being worthy of the trust placed in me. The fear of failing has been a strong motivator for me all my life. And now I've put myself in a position where if I fail it could have a devastating impact on thousands of hard working people and their families. So I am constantly looking for ways to improve the chances for success and minimize the risk of failure. That's always front of mind for me.
SH: Besides your family and career, what are you passionate about?
BP: Well those two things consume quite a bit of passion. But for the past several years I have been voraciously reading eastern and pre-Sanctist religious texts, and conducting other research where texts are not available. I'm very curious to understand more about the eastern religious philosophies, and the ancient Kiltic theologies that came before Sanctism. There is so much we can take away from those teachings that have survived for thousands of years, many of which continue to influence over half the world even today. I am fascinated by the wisdom of the ancient philosophers and prophets, and their observations certainly provide a richer context for understanding some of the tougher questions that plague us today.
SH: What makes you angry?
BP: I try not to become angry. But I do get frustrated and I certainly understand your question. It upsets me to see people abuse whatever power they might have over other people. That happens every single day on so many levels it could be infuriating if one allowed it to be. I firmly believe, to my core, that with every privilege comes even more responsibility, and to see one person exercise his privilege to dominate another person strikes me as very wrong, if not evil. And I feel like if it happens to one of us it is actually happening to all of us. It troubles me when I see it or hear about it. And knowing that I can't simply eliminate that problem for everybody can feel frustrating.
SH: How do you define success?
BP: Well I think there is a difference between accomplishment and success. People can be successful without achieving anything of importance. Likewise people can have great achievements but nevertheless remain unsuccessful. For me, success is attained when one's accomplishments are recognized and properly valued.
SH: How many hours a day do you work on average?
BP: Well when you love what you do, and you do what you love, can you really call it work? But the truth of the matter is there isn't an hour when I'm not thinking about ways I can use my assets to improve one thing or another about the world we live in. Even in my sleep I'm dreaming about my next goal. I do happen to be rather a night owl. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten lost in research or an experiment or just reading something fascinating, only to see the sun rise.
SH: What is your most treasured material possession?
BP: That's a complicated question. Should we treasure material possessions? I certainly am fortunate to have many possessions, some quite valuable. And I value my team and the people who work in my companies quite highly. But my most treasured material possession is a small carved wooden statue of a donkey with a man riding on its back. My grandfather brought it back from Noam after the war and it was given to me as a child. Since then I have always cherished that carved wooden donkey more than anything else in the world.
SH: What is your greatest extravagance?
BP: I think that would have to be my gyroplane. Not many people can own their own gyroplane.
SH: Is there anyone you would want to trade places with for 24 hours?
BP: I suppose that would depend on if the other person would trade places with me. But if it were up to me alone, I think I would choose the Qaghan of Noam. He rules with absolute power over the oldest and some say the richest civilization in the world. Yet he is loved and adored by his people. That would be a really unique experience I wouldn't mind trying, even if only for a day.
SH: What piece of advice would you leave our readers with?
BP: Believe in yourself, focus on what you enjoy, and stay curious. I think those concepts are the keys to success, but more importantly, to personal happiness.
-- L+T --
"Believe in yourself, focus on what you enjoy, and stay curious. I think those concepts are the keys to success, but more importantly, to personal happiness."
Brian Pierce
Vital Statistics
Born:
10 Crenyew 1949
Age:
36
Height:
1.99 yds.
Weight:
195 pds.
Hair:
Black
Eyes:
Brown
Education:
Bach. Sci., Lishconnor Polytechnic Institute
Net worth:
§350 million (estimated)
World Class Yachtsman
The Arrow
"There's a transcendence that occurs when you're out on the sea beyond the sight of land. Nothing but salty water in every direction. Especially at night, with the canopy of the stars from horizon to horizon, propelled by only the wind, nature's breath, on a straight course to your destination. It's a sublime experience."
A Millionaire's Most Prized Possession
Comments