The rise and fall of a Silicon Valley mogul

Washington

THERE was a time when one's story was depicted as a true rags-to-riches tale - one that started in the projects in San Jose, California, where a young Indian immigrant was bullied for standing out. He eventually gained recognition, respect and considerable wealth, making his first fortune - and then his second - as a tech entrepreneur, the personification of self-made Silicon Valley success.

As an ascendant multimillionaire mogul, Gurbaksh Chahal found himself at the centre of the "tech bro" culture - wearing fancy ties and ripped jeans to work, spending lavishly on luxury sports cars and penthouse apartments, and talking openly about his search for the right woman.