Pachyderm Portfolio

The Pachyderm Portfolio was a project started by John Hammond, a flamboyant venture capitalist, and conducted by Norman Atherton, a Stanford geneticist. The original plan was to make consumer-biologicals, or biologically created products for consumer usage. Eventually, with Hammond's funding, Atherton was able to develop a miniature elephant, approx. 9 inches by 12 inches.

Project Usage
The project lasted several years, and was the main fuel for Hammond to found International Genetic Technologies, Inc. Hammond would give a dramatic speech to investors, and at the most climatic moment, pull a cover off the little cage he carried the animal around in; investors would look in awe, and pledge their money.

Project Problems
John Hammond failed to mention that his chief geneticist was not able to replicate the elephant, and the elephant had several behavioral quirks about it, including temperment. He also did not mention that Atherton himself, the brains behind the miracles, was terminal with heart cancer. Eventually, the elephant died, after it had gained enough capital for InGen to be fully developed, earning over $870 million.