Billion-Dollar Buzz

Brad Jacobs Celebrates New Book as QXO Secures $3B War Chest

A book signing, a $3 billion raise and a room full of power players at Cipriani

QXO CEO Brad Jacobs welcomes guests at thelaunch party for his book "How to Make a Few More Billion Dollars." — Photo by Bryan Gottlieb/Roofing Contractor

Brad Jacobs, founder of QXO, addresses guests during a book launch event celebrating the release of his second book, "How to Make a Few More Billion Dollars," which was held the same day the company disclosed a $1.8B equity raise led by Apollo Global Management.

New York—QXO founder Brad Jacobs invited several hundred friends and business associates to Cipriani, across from Grand Central Station, on Jan. 12 to celebrate the publication of his second book, “How to Make a Few More Billion Dollars.”

Security was tight, but once inside the cavernous former Bowery Savings Bank, a crowd of New York business and media figures mingled over champagne while waiting in line to have copies of the sequel to Jacobs’ first book, “How to Make a Few Billion Dollars,” signed by the author.

Guests fill the main hall at Cipriani in New York during a reception for QXO founder Brad Jacobs’ second book.

Guests mingled inside Cipriani in Midtown New York during Brad Jacobs’ book-signing reception, where hundreds gathered amid champagne, live music and conversation. Photo: Bryan Gottlieb/Roofing Contractor

Jacobs moved steadily through the line, greeting guests from finance, business media and industry circles. One attendee, a JPMorgan Chase employee in a bespoke suit, was overheard remarking to a companion from the business news outlet Semafor that the turnout felt surreal. “Can you believe all these people here tonight?” he asked.

A post on X by an attendee echoed the sentiment: "Amazing time at Brad Jacobs book party tonight. Pro Tip: The 2nd book was even better than the first!"

According to sources, about 600 guests packed the Midtown venue, whose Neo-Renaissance interior features soaring ceilings, marble columns and crystal chandeliers. The setting matched the moment.

The timing was fortuitous: Earlier that morning, QXO announced it had secured an additional $1.8 billion in equity funding led by Apollo Global Management, more than doubling the $1.2 billion raise announced earlier this month and bringing total new capital to $3 billion. The funding underscores Jacobs’ ambition to reshape how specialty contractors, including roofing firms, source materials.

With Fox Business anchor Liz Claman introducing Jacobs and a live band playing during the tight 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. after-work event, the evening blended book launch, capital markets milestone and a statement of intent from a company positioning itself as a major force in construction supply.

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Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.