Coming out of Polytechnique. I was at a loss. To run a big, sprawling company, or even France, or to become a great intellectual cited in the world's most prestigious universities? These were my choices. And yet, I wanted to be more complex and offer my neurons to the world of electronics. More specifically, the world of the photocopier. This object has always fascinated me. As a child, I didn't understand its magic. But with time, I became curious and was lucky enough to be able to take them apart by the dozen and understand what the beast was all about.

I soon became the little fixer-upper of the 9-4, and thanks to this I was able to provide for my family. At the time, my parents weren't working, and they were delighted that my predatory IQ enabled them to add a little Dubonnet to their oilcloth tablecloth. My little exploits began to make a name for themselves, and in 1990 I appeared on TV with Laurent Broomhead and Pascal Sanchez. They described me as the little genius from Alfortville.

The mayor of the time received me with great pomp and ceremony and handed me the keys to the town. He made an emotional speech about how I was the pride of the town, and how he hoped I wasn't the only person in the area with an IQ over 90. All these little attentions led me to Polytechnique, from which I left after two weeks, so much so that what they were teaching seemed straight out of a Pif Gadget.

Shortly before Christmas, I was called by Stanford, who heard about my research and invited me to come and take some of their courses, in the hope that I could teach there at the end of my degree. But I didn't really fit in with these self-confident students, with whom I always had to fight to impose common sense. Scalded by the campus atmosphere, I packed my bags and headed for adventure.