The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the World’s Most Popular Vapes

In the mid-aughts, when vaping was an obscure subculture and products weren’t widely available, its few aficionados would congregate online to swap information. On e-cigarette-forum.com, many posters were former smokers who’d discovered vaping as a way to kick “analogs,” as they called traditional cigarettes. The mood was collegial. People discussed equipment and showed off their modifications to the bulky open-tank-style vapes that dominated the marketplace. Some posted tasting notes on e-juice, the concentrated nicotine liquid used in e-cigarettes, with the flourish of master sommeliers describing a rare vintage.

There were also numerous reviews of shops, including a popular web store called Heaven Gifts. It was generally regarded as reliable, but if something did go amiss, forum members counseled contacting the owner, Wayne. He was responsive and friendly, and if someone had a problem he’d sort it out. Heaven Gifts also doled out freebies and ran frequent promotions, assuaging frustrations over slow delivery times or customs seizures.