I am Philippe Michaelis. Today I own a chain of fast-food restaurants in New Jersey, because I became rich with the help of Jay Gatsby. Before I met him I was quite poor and I only owned a coffee joint in the valley of ashes. Next to it was the garage of George Wilson. The Wilsons had been my neighbours for four years. That was at the time when Gatsby was living in West-Egg, Long Island.
One day a man, sent by Gatsby, came to me and offered that I should take part in a little business on the side. First I did not know what he wanted me to do, but then he suggested that I should sell alcohol below the counter in my coffee joint. First I refused this kind of trade because I had never come in conflict with the law. But the man explained to me the whole procedure of deliver and sell. I saw that there was absolutely no risk and besides, I really needed the money. So I accepted the offer and started to join this business one year before Gatsby died.
I worked for him and got my money through his helpers, but I never got to know him personally. The only impression I had about him I received through the rumours which were going around about his nature. This is why I had a blurred but negative image of him, dealing with crime, in my mind. But I was not very interested in him. I heard about all the parties and events that happened at Gatsby`s huge mansion, but I never participated, because I did not belong to the wealthy. I did not have any acquaintance in this upper class, as I only worked for Gatsby.
George Wilson, who was also not integrated in this society, belonged to my extensive circle of friends. Sometimes it seemed to me I was his only friend. I almost never saw him with anyone else and even his wife Myrtle cheated on him with Tom Buchanan, a wealthy man from East-Egg. A fatal misunderstanding caused that George murdered Gatsby. He thought that Gatsby was the man who had an affair with Myrtle and accidentally killed her with his car. I think George, who was a hard-working and devoted husband, bottled up all his emotions causing him to explode and so he shot Gatsby and after this took his own life.
After Gatsby`s death I continued selling alcohol because I got used to this extra income. It first helped me to arrange my paybacks. Later I really became rich through these increasing deals. I have never been able to compare my prosperity to for example Gatsby`s, but it allowed me to open my chain of fast-food restaurants. With the rising of the chain my prestige enlarged. And from then on I was also invited to many festivities and I have to say, when one gets used to this kind of society, most people are really gentle. Once I came to the birthday party of  Fred Parker, a famous opera-singer, and brought Toni, an old friend of mine, still belonging to the lower class, with me. I enjoyed the party, but he did not come into any conversation and drove away somewhere in the evening without me. Today we do no longer have any contact but I cannot complain, as I am acquainted with some influential people here in New Jersey.
On the whole, in my opinion, the decade of the “Roaring Twenties” took an effect on the whole country. Some used it to advance on the social ladder , others kept behind. And back to Gatsby; what a pity that it is not possible to get to know him any more.