Subject: Re: Checking in/ Letter of Recommendation
From: "Bobby Laughlin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2015 23:06:17 -0700

Hunter,
Thank you so much for your willingness to help me. To give you a bit of background, the past 3 years of my personal and professional life have been very productive. I have worked in management at a small business (Crossroads as COO), at a Fortune 500 financial institution (Morgan Stanley as a financial  advisor), and at a telecommunications firm in DC (Allied Telecom Group in sales and business development). All along the way, I have tried my best to be present for my family, as well as my community and the people with whom my life experiences could benefit the most. 

The years before these were demoralizing. Addiction literally decimated every part of my life and left me in an animalistic form. From a scholastic perspective, the primary visible damage was done in my GPA at Marymount University. However, I do believe the bottom I hit created a catalyst for change that has yielded lessons and a mindset that put me in a favorable position going forward. 

I want to show the school I have made a significant turnaround and I would succeed if given a second chance. I have produced three solid years of evidence to justify this claim. At this point in my life, I'm hungry for education. I know that to sacrifice knowledge acquisition is to diminish my chances of fulfilling my potential, and to not fulfill my potential is to rob myself and the people I intend to help. 

I have built and nourished an obsession with learning about business and life.  Outside of basic living expenses, books make up my largest expense. The books range in subject matter; everything from finance and investing, Eckhart Tolle, biographies, psychology, globalization, law, to a book on coffee. I have fallen in love with learning and bettering myself. 

I would greatly appreciate it if you could sculpt a letter showing your belief in me as an individual who you think will be an asset to an educational institution. Perhaps you could base this off my personal and business experiences, lessons learned from the years when I was off track, and  my newfound obsession with learning. 

I think I bring a relatively unique life experience to share. I believe my experiences, both professionally and personally, will add positive perspective to the classroom which hopefully will benefit others.  Ultimately, my goal in life is to be a quiet example of giving. I want my lifelong obsession of investing and finance to benefit others far more than myself. Amassing a fortune and depleting it philanthropically is my dream. The warm connectivity I have felt by implementing this on a very small scale has created a powerful desire for more. I also hope to inspire others to do likewise. 

Let me know if you'd like more information or anything else that could help you write the letter. 

Again, thank you so much for doing this- it really means so much to me. 

--Bobby

> On Jun 27, 2015, at 6:40 AM, Hunter Biden <[email-masked]> wrote:
> 
> I would love to Bobby. Send me bio or an outline of what you would most like me to impart through the recommendation. Talk soon, H
> 
> RHB
> 202.333.1880
> 
>> On Jun 26, 2015, at 7:34 PM, Bobby Laughlin <[email-masked]> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Hunter,
>> I've been thinking about our conversation in DC and have been meaning to thank you for your guidance and suggestions. The past couple months have been about focusing my efforts on going back to meetings, being mentally available for Molly, exercising, reading, and practicing golf. The stress that was plaguing me when we spoke has been slowly melting away. It all seems so logical now, but I needed to hear it from someone I respect. 
>> 
>> I was offered a position at an investment bank and a consulting firm here in LA, but I think school is the right play, long term. If I were to accept either of those positions, I think it would just delay the process for me to do what I really want to do. 
>> 
>> I'm applying for the fall semester at Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business and Management. 
>> I was wondering if you would be able to write a letter of recommendation for me. If you're not able to, please don't worry- I know you've got a lot going on right now. If you're able, they want the letters to be in by July 6th- sorry for the tight timeframe; I'm just now making my decision to pursue it. 
>> 
>> I hope you're well and would love to catch up in-person soon. Thanks again for everything. 
>> 
>> Best,
>> Bobby
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhon