4chan creator Chris Poole turned down a $50,000 acquisition offer from a Japanese toy company in 2005

4chan, one of the Web’s most trafficked imageboards, isn’t a site that you would think would get many acquisition offers. After all, even advertisers make a point to avoid it like the plague. Yet its founder, Chris Poole (also known as moot), today revealed that he received a $50,000 offer for the site from a Japanese toy company back in 2005.

Poole was 17 at the time. His rejection letter, which wasn’t sent immediately, read as follows:

Sorry for the delay. As crazy as it may seem, even an offer of that magnitude would not change my mind. The amount of time and money I and others have invested in 4chan makes it very hard to put a price on, and, not only that, but the site continues to grow in popularity immensely each day, month, etc.

For those who don’t know, 4chan is a site that is regularly linked to Internet subcultures and activism thanks to contributions such as lolcats, rickrolling, and Anonymous. Yesterday it celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

Here’s the real kicker though. Poole says the unnamed Japanese toy company no longer exists. Meanwhile, 4chan has not only outlived it, but the site’s readership is on a tear year after year.

Unsurprisingly, Poole doesn’t regret his decision:

I could not be more thankful that I made the right decision. While 4chan hasn’t made me rich, it has become my life’s work and provided me with countless friendships and a decade of entertainment. And that’s something you can’t put a price on.

What’s more important than money? Doing what you love and loving what you do.

See also – 4Chan rigs “Taylor Swift Sing on Your Campus” contest which could see her performing at a DEAF school and 4chan founder’s iPad app, DrawQuest, gets a major update with explore features and Web profiles

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