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The rise of 5-Hour began in the spring of 2003, when Bhargava found himself at a natural products trade show in Anaheim, Calif. At one booth the sales reps peddled a 16-ounce concoction claiming to boost productivity for hours. Bhargava took a swig. ‘For the next six or seven hours I was in great shape,’ he says. ‘I thought, Wow, this is amazing. I can sell this.’

Right away, though, he knew 16 ounces wouldn’t sell. He didn’t want to compete with Red Bull, at the time new to the market. Nor did he want to share fridge space with Coke or Pepsi. ‘I thought, If I’m tired, am I also thirsty? Is that like having a headache and a stomachache? It didn’t make any sense.’ He glanced at the ingredients label and made a mental note. Six months later his version was on the shelves, two ounces of ­caffeine-infused B vitamins such as niacin mixed with acids like taurine.