Mr. William O. Perkins III

Houston businessman Bill Perkins, who held a fundraiser in November 2007, relaxed with the candidate afterward, talking about taxes, watching football and engaging in a spontaneous pull-up competition, which Obama won.

"They were the kind where you wrap your hand over the bar, not under the bar," Perkins said. "He did eight of them. That's not easy."

Perkins, president of the energy development and investment firm Small Ventures USA, said he told Obama he believes in increasing the inheritance tax and argued that there are too many loopholes that unfairly benefit the wealthy.

"He listened," Perkins said. He does not expect to spend any more time with Obama: "I have a better chance of spotting Jesus coming off an elevator. That moment has passed for me."

Late last year, after Perkins raised more than $135,000 for Obama, he wanted to give more. He and his wife each donated $50,000 to the inauguration, and he asked the committee if he could contribute on behalf of his 18-year-old stepson Corbin and his two daughters, 4-year-old Skye and 22-month-old Brisa. So far, he's received no answer.

"After.Life" was fully financed by a sole private investor, fresh to the movie business, Bill Perkins, a Houston energy trader who runs a venture-capital firm. (Perkins recently made headlines for funding a New York Times full-page ad that criticized the government's economic bailout plan.)

Crystal Energy is wholly owned by Small Ventures USA LLC, a Houston-based privately held firm headed by William Perkins III, who founded Small Ventures in 1997 after working as a director and managing partner at energy trading companies, according to his biography at a June 2003 LNG conference in Houston.

William Perkins, Risk Manager, CENTAURUS
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Masterclass: Will there be a major natural gas or electricity price spike this summer?

William O. Perkins, III

Director
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William O. Perkins, III Director

William O. Perkins III is the President of Small Ventures USA, LLC, a venture capital and consulting company which he formed in 1997. Since March 2000, he has also been the managing partner of Zahr Securities, a securities firm with offices in New York and Houston. From February 1997 until February 2000, Mr. Perkins was the Director of Energy Trading of Statoil Energy Inc., a natural gas and electricity producer. From October 1995 until February 1997, he was the Manager of Options/Structured Products for El Paso Energy Corporation. Mr. Perkins joined Centaurus, a leading energy trading hedge fund, upon inception in 2002. As a consultant with Centaurus, Mr. Perkins trades NYMEX Futures, Gas Swaps, Exotic Options and other energy commodities. Mr. Perkins holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa.

Another managing partner of Zahr Securities is William Perkins.Mr. Perkins managed business operations and supervisitory responsibilities at Zahr's Houston office.Mr. Perkins graduated from the University of Iowa.He began his career as an employee within the New York Mercantile Exchange, and later in 1993, an over-the-counter natural gas options broker.In 1995, Mr. Perkins moved to El Paso, Texas where he was an employee for El Paso Energy and traded natural gas options.He supervised two other traders while with El Paso Energy.Mr. Perkins soon after became head trader of the natural gas options trading desk with StatOil in 1997, were he supervised four other traders, respectively.

NEW YORK, NY- (Marketwire - May 19, 2008) - Veotag, Inc., a leading Web 2.0 media publishing solutions provider, today announced that it has secured new funding of $1.2 million from Bill Perkins of Small Ventures USA.
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Small Ventures USA (SMV) is a venture capital and private equity firm founded and managed by William O. Perkins III.