How a multi-million dollar promposal let a tech founder stake his entire future on a yes—here's what happened next.
1. He didn't just ask his date to prom—he proposed a business deal.
Mark Chen, a 24-year-old billionaire startup founder from San Francisco, rented out the entire Salesforce Tower for a promposal that doubled as a merger agreement. The date, an AI engineer named Dana Reyes, was presented with a contract to become his co-founder—worth over $15 million in equity.
2. The ask went viral for its high-risk, high-reward strategy.
Footage shows Chen holding a neon sign reading "Stake your future with me" while a drone dropped a binder containing the terms. Social media exploded, with over 20 million views in 12 hours, primarily because the offer had a 24-hour expiration clause.
3. Dana said yes—but only after one condition.
She insisted on rewriting the equity split to include a profit-sharing model for every employee in their new startup. Chen agreed, turning the promposal into a public relations coup and a statement on fair founder culture.
4. The legal world is now scrambling to define a "promposal contract."
Corporate lawyers are questioning if a high school dance qualifies as a valid negotiation forum. Some firms are already prepping a new niche: "event-based business stakes," warning others not to try this without a witness.
5. This isn't just a date—it's a blueprint for viral recruiting.
Within 48 hours, Chen's inbox was flooded with 1,200 job applications from engineers who saw the clip. Experts predict this will spark a trend where founders use personal milestones as a stake in their corporate narrative, for better or worse.