George Clooney didn't set out to build a billion-dollar brand. He set out to make a tequila he and his friends actually wanted to drink. That distinction is exactly why Diageo paid $1 billion for it.

Sidney Frank was 78 years old when he decided to build the world's most expensive vodka. He had no liquid, no bottle, and no distillery. Eight years later he sold it for $2.2 billion. This is that story.

He found an obscure Thai tonic, got told it would never work in the West, and built a $20 billion empire that invented an entire category. The Dietrich Mateschitz story is required reading for any founder.