"Houston cut Jobs’ pitch short: He was determined to build a big company, he said, and wasn’t selling, no matter the status of the bidder" Props to Drew. I don't think many other entrepreneurs would've been as zealous and decline such an offer.
Nine figures buyout? You really do have to believe in your future success to turn that down, especially as a two year old company and long before the current milestones.
That kind of money, Drew's payout would have been substantial, enough to bankroll any project he could dream of (or live comfortably forever).
I'm sure he's flying high right now, but I think he's foolish to turn down an offer like that in the same way Groupon was foolish to turn down Google's 11 digit offer.
Sure, one could argue that money is less important than achieving a vision, but with that kind of money, Drew could work on 5 additional visions of similar size, knowing his product was in good hands.
It takes real balls and vision to turn down that much money.
The thing is, without having the confidence to be able to turn down millions, it's unlikely one will ever be able to build a product worth millions. Those in it for the quick buck usually will fold under the slightest bit of trouble.