Kirban, 48, is the co-founder and executive chairman of The Vita Coco Company, which started selling its namesake coconut water in 2004. Today, Vita Coco is a behemoth in its own right, sporting a $1.6 billion market cap as of Thursday afternoon. It commands nearly 50% of the U.S. coconut water market, according to the company's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. I remember just sitting there, in this old apartment that I lived in at the time, thinking and thinking and thinking. Somehow, I went from "Holy s---, we're dead," to ... "Holy s---, let's go and beat the s--- out of them."

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Persons: Michael Kirban, Vita Coco, Zico, Ira Liran, Mark Rampolla, Kirban, let's, I'd, it's, Guy Oseary Organizations: CNBC, Vita Coco Company, Cola Company, Cola, U.S . Securities, Exchange Locations: Zico, U.S