▁Pie per ▁res igned ▁from ▁Phili ps ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁joined ▁Slo ot ' s ▁company ▁as ▁CE O , ▁which ▁was ▁re - brand ed ▁as ▁The ▁Fif th ▁Force , ▁Inc . ▁ ▁The ▁story — including ▁an ▁account ▁of ▁a ▁bel iev able ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁the ▁technology — is ▁told ▁in ▁mod est ▁detail ▁in ▁Tom ▁Per kins ' ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁book ▁Valley ▁Boy : ▁The ▁Education ▁of ▁Tom ▁Per kins . ▁ ▁Per kins , ▁the ▁co - found er ▁of ▁the ▁Sil icon ▁Valley ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁firm ▁Kle iner ▁Per kins , ▁had ▁agreed ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁the ▁technology ▁when ▁Slo ot ▁died . ▁Per kins ▁and ▁Pie per ▁would ▁have ▁proceeded ▁after ▁Slo ot ' s ▁death , ▁but ▁a ▁key ▁piece ▁of ▁the ▁technology , ▁a ▁compiler ▁stored ▁on ▁a ▁flo ppy ▁disk , ▁had ▁disappeared ▁and , ▁despite ▁months ▁of ▁searching , ▁was ▁never ▁recovered . ▁ ▁Death ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Slo ot ▁was ▁found ▁dead , ▁in ▁his ▁garden ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Nie uw eg ein ▁of ▁an ▁apparent ▁heart ▁attack . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁one ▁day ▁before ▁an ▁attract ive ▁deal ▁was ▁signed ▁with ▁Ro el ▁Pie per , ▁former ▁C TO ▁and ▁board ▁member ▁of ▁Phili ps . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁cons ented ▁to ▁an ▁aut ops y , ▁but ▁no ▁aut ops y ▁was ▁performed . ▁Slo ot ▁left ▁behind