At the suggestion of a friend, Minkow took the company public in January 1986, garnering a spot on NASDAQ. The accountant who audited the company before it went public did not visit the insurance restoration sites himself. Had he done so, he would have discovered they were mailboxes located throughout the San Fernando Valley. Minkow retained a 53 percent controlling interest, making him an instant millionaire on paper. Going public seemingly offered him a way to cover up his fraudulent activities. Under securities law at the time, he had to retain his personal shares for two years. He planned to sell a million shares to the public in January 1988, believing this would give him enough money to pay everyone off and go completely legitimate.