The real key to buying pre-ipo shares is having the right friends - you have to be accredited, but that doesn't really get you access. Realistically, the CEO /

The real key to buying pre-ipo shares is having the right friends - you have to be accredited, but that doesn't really get you access. Realistically, the CEO / influential board members has(have) to be convinced to let you buy in a secondary offering...just b/c you are accredited doesn't mean anyone has to let you buy. Very few companies allow individuals to make unapproved resale of shares through the secondary markets and it's fairly uncommon for a board to approve those types of requests. The typical way it happens is there is a secondary offering, or new funding, and they let in people they want in.