I went to high school with a fellow like Shkreli and with same story: rising fortunes, financial lying, fraud, conviction.

Same traits as above, though unlike Shkreli this guy was extremely personable and likable.

He was just a congenital liar and driven by something inside to... do more, do something bigger. He had the most incredible stories in high school that largely turned out to be lies, but at the time it all hung together with enough reality you couldn't see through it.

It's interesting knowing someone like my acquaintance and seeing the same story in other people of playing fast with lies trying to make it really big, when they actually have the skills to do it more honestly.