Here’s our latest interview with a millionaire as we seek to learn from those who have grown their wealth to high heights.
If you’d like to be considered for an interview, drop me a note and we can chat about specifics.
My questions are in bold italics and his responses follow in black.
Let’s get started…
OVERVIEW
How old are you (and spouse if applicable, plus how long you’ve been married)?
My wife is 46 and I am 56 years old.
We have been happily married for 20 years.
Do you have kids/family (if so how old are they)?
I have a son from a previous relationship.
He is now 27 years old and is the operations manager of our company.
What area of the country do you live in?
We live in a midsized city in central British Columbia Canada but our company is located 1.5 hours away in a rural area. I split my time between the two.
What is your current net worth?
Our current net worth is $11.6 million.
I have converted all the dollar figures to US as I know most ESI Money readers are American.
What are the main assets that make up your net worth (stocks, Real Estate, business, home, retirement accounts etc) and any debt that offset these?
- 165K RRSPs containing Vanguard and Ishares Canadian and US ETFs
- 58K TFSA account containing Vanguard VGRO ETF
- 68K Misc Stocks
- 45K Canadian Bonds
- 1,540K Held in Corporate business account consisting of Canadian, US, and emerging markets ETFs and some REITS
- 720k cash held in high interest savings account
- 170k GIC
- 330k Business receivables
- 1,050k home
- 2,400k Industrial land
- 4,800k business
- 280k cars
No debt.
EARN
What is your job?
I own and manage a small/midsize auto recycling company with my son.
What is your annual income?
My income has grown substantially over the last 10 years as follows:
- 2019 — $1.125 million
- 2018 — $890k
- 2017 — $640k
- 2016 — $654k
- 2015 — $570k
- 2014 — $480k
- 2013 — $480k
- 2012 — $410k
- 2011 — $425k
- 2010 — $360k
- 2009 — $250k
From 1989 (the year I started my business) until 2009, I struggled every day to make payroll, to pay my rent, and to keep my head above water. More on that later.
Tell us about your income performance over time. What was your starting salary of your first job, how did it grow from there (and what did you do to make it grow) and where are you now?
I started my working career at 16 years of age because, unfortunately, getting an education past grade 10 was not something that was in my cards.
I started a welding apprenticeship at 17 years of age and became a journeyman at 20. I can’t really remember what my income was in those years but it was not a lot.
Due to lack of any positive influences in my life and lack of any common sense, I spent the next five years living a life of drug addiction and partying. I was going to leave this part of my story out as I wanted all the intelligent readers of ESI to think I was just like them but unfortunately I grew up thinking there was no chance I could ever succeed in life.
When I was 25 I started really having trouble hearing people. My hearing had always been bad but I managed to get by till then. I went to see a hearing specialist who informed me that I had profound hearing loss.
After seeing a few more specialists I was informed that there was a good chance I would be deaf by the time I was 40 years of age. This was a life-changing moment for me. I pictured myself stocking shelves in a grocery store or working some other minimum wage job for the rest of my life.
I started wearing hearing aids and got it in my head that if I was going to be deaf by 40 I had till then to make it in life.
This was a defining moment for me. I knew that with my lack of education I could never get a high paying job and my only chance of being successful was to start my own business. I went back to welding and saved every penny I could for two years.
At the age of 27 bought 40 percent of a two-man auto recycling company for $40k.
This was a very small company on a leased piece of land whose owner’s mantra was “keep it small and take it all”. His idea of running a business was to pocket as much as possible to avoid paying any income tax. The biggest problem with running a company like this is you can never get any bank to take you seriously so getting any type of financing to grow the company was impossible.
Within a year the company was doing terribly and I bought out my partner for $20k.
I paid myself $2k per month for the next five years. My days were spent selling parts and my evenings were spent doing inventory.
Every day I prayed that I could sell enough parts to pay my two employees, my rent, and all the other bills that are part of running a small company.
I could not afford a bookkeeper so I bought Simply Accounting software and used the internet to teach me how to use it. I did all the company’s books for the first 15 years.
After another five years I managed to make the business profitable (slightly) enough to raise my income to $4k a month. It was probably another five years more of working day and night before I felt comfortable enough to pay myself a decent wage.
When I first bought into this company I was amazed at how this industry was perceived. We were expected to be dirty, mean biker-types with mean dogs, no class, have a no return policy, and offer terrible customer service. I thought maybe I could try to change this by creating a clean, friendly facility that made customer service its first priority with a no question return policy.
We started by building a beautiful modern office with smiling faces and top-notch customer service. All our parts were cleaned, tested, and guaranteed. Things just took off from there.
Next we thought if we purchased newer, high-end accident vehicles we could get insurance companies to purchase parts from us. We knew they were always looking for ways to save money. This was by far our best move as they are now our biggest customer.
I am very passionate about what I do and could talk about it for hours, but no matter what your business is if you can think outside the box and do whatever you do better than the next guy, you can be as successful as your hard work will take you. This isn’t called the land of opportunity for nothing!
Success didn’t happen overnight. It was a 20-year grind before we could say we reached any level of success but it was worth every minute of it.
Now our small, dirty, unprofitable junkyard is a first class profitable company with a beautiful facility. And we have won the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award twice.
What tips do you have for others who want to grow their career-related income?
Anything is possible if you work hard enough and long enough but the path is much easier with an education.
Since I didn’t have an education my mindset was to sell a product or a service because selling my time would never make me a millionaire.
Don’t let a handicap hold you back. There is a way around everything.
A bad upbringing is not an excuse to not succeed in life.
What’s your work-life balance look like?
I still spend four days a week living in an apartment above my office working till 9 or 10 every night. The other three days I am at home but still working at least five hours a day on the computer.
I know most of you would say why would you want to live at your work most days but to me it is my kingdom that I created from nothing. I still look out the window after everyone else has gone home and stare at the 30-acre facility I created with my own hands. I am still amazed that a uneducated, deaf, drug addict could do this with just hard work and determination.
I have a wonderful wife who supports me and understands my past and what drives me.
I also have a wonderful son who helps me run this company so I can take time off whenever I feel like.
Do you have any sources of income besides your career? If so, can you list them, give us a feel for how much you earn with each, and offer some insight into how you developed them?
It wasn’t until about 2013 that I felt I had anything to invest. Until then all my focus was on eliminating my debt.
First I concentrated on eliminating all my loans including my lines of credit and all my business loans and credit cards.
Then I concentrated on paying off all my mortgages on the lands my business is situated on and my home and acreage.
After this was all paid off I actually started having a large bank balance that I had to figure out what to do with. I knew nothing about investing so I approached it the same way I started my business — by reading everything I could on how to invest.
First thing I figured out was that the reason the $40k I had in RRSP’s invested with Investors Group was not growing was because they were charging me 2.5% interest. Dumb me was looking at the statement they sent every few months not knowing that they were not required to show how much they were taking off the top every month.
I figured the best thing for my uneducated ass to do was to follow the couch potato philosophy that I found in Moneysense magazine and not invest in stocks or mutual funds but in simple index funds and ETF’s with low M.E.R’s that covered a broad range of countries including growth, value, large and mid cap stocks.
Unfortunately I put too much emphasis on Canadian ETF’s instead of U.S.
The TSX has basically been a dog for years now and in hindsight wish I would have stuck to the US stock market.
SAVE
What is your annual spending?
Out of the whole ESI thing this is the one I have the most trouble talking about. I certainly spend a hell of a lot less than I make only because I’m too busy working to spend much.
I would guess I spend probably $150k to $180k per year.
What are the main categories (expenses) this spending breaks into?
This is probably the first time in years I have even thought about this. I know that sounds bad but after about 35 years of doing nothing but worrying and crunching numbers I am enjoying not having to think about expenses.
Do you have a budget? If so, how do you implement it?
Not at all. My net worth and income are past the point of caring about a budget. I know you probably all think that makes me spoiled and entitled but I suffered a lot to get to this point and I feel I deserve to not worry about a budget anymore.
My wife gets to stay home and take care of the house and our dogs and have a carefree lifestyle. I feel she deserves it after all the years of taking care of me.
What percentage of your gross income do you save and how has that changed over time?
It is now probably about 80%. This has definitely got higher over the years for sure.
It was zero until I was over 40 years of age but has since climbed to a level I never thought possible with my low level of education and social handicap (deafness) that I have had to struggle with since the beginning of my business career.
What is your favorite thing to spend money on/ your secret splurge?
You probably wondered why I listed $280k of cars under assets. This is my splurge.
Ever since I was a little kid I watched Formula One racing and dreamed of owning a McLaren. I also loved Aston Martins also. Now I own both!
My other passion is my dogs! I have four of them and have at least one with me at all times. I think I love dogs because I don’t have to hear them as with people. I struggle to hear all the time and it is tiring.
INVEST
What is your investment philosophy/plan?
Since I am the only bread winner in my family and my wife leaves this stuff up to me, I want it to be simple in case I pass and she is left to fend for herself.
This is why I picked the couch potato strategy of simple buy and forget it low cost ETF’s.
This is what Warren Buffett figured was the best plan for people without a lot of investing knowledge to do so that’s good enough for me.
All my personal money and all the money I hold in my corporation will go into ETF’s. I really like Vanguard’s VGRO and VBAL which I think are the only ETF you need as they hold many underlying ETF’s containing Canadian, US, and international equities and a mix of Canadian and foreign bonds that are rebalanced yearly.
What has been your best investment?
I would have to say the $60k I paid for my company because if I had not taken that risk 30 years ago I would probably still be a welder working the night shift at some shop somewhere.
What has been your worst investment?
Over the last five years I have tried my hand at buying some individual stocks but have since given up as I don’t seem to be very good at picking them.
What has been your overall return?
I just spent quite a bit of time trying to figure this question out and I still can’t come up with a good answer.
In regards to business it was a lifetime investment that has paid off in spades.
In regards to other investments like the stock market and the ETF market it is a mixed bag.
U.S. investment I would say 10% yearly. Canadian and international probably more like 3 or 4% — I hate to admit.
I still think Canada is the best country in the world and I will continue to bet on it (got to pay off sooner or later).
How often do you monitor/review your portfolio?
I am a little strange with this one. Every morning I check the markets and if they are going up I look at my balance, but if they are going down I ignore it till they go back up.
I have never sold one single stock or ETF that I have bought in the last 10 years.
NET WORTH
How did you accumulate your net worth?
Pretty well all my net worth was created from the profits of the business I created over the last 30 years.
This was never easy and is still a lot of work. For example right now it is 10:30 on a Tuesday night and I am still sitting in my office alternating between writing this and pricing inventory.
You would think with a 12 million net worth I would not be spending my evenings pricing inventory but these are the sacrifices you make to be successful.
I feel I now have more than I could ever spend so I now concentrate on conserving my wealth instead of trying to grow it.
What would you say is your greatest strength in the ESI wealth-building model and why would you say its tops?
This one is easy — definitely earning.
My saving and investing skills are minimal but my earning skill has become my strength. It is the one I have concentrated on for most of my life.
What road bumps did you face along the way to becoming a millionaire and how did you handle them?
I have had many road bumps — sometimes they felt like pot holes. I have always had to depend on myself to get over them.
I spent my teenage years in a foster home where we were required to work for our keep. This included two hours of chores before and after school and all weekend. Summer holidays were spent picking potatoes.
The part that I found the hardest was not feeling loved or mentored in any way. They had two of their own children who reminded me every day that I didn’t belong.
I don’t want this to be a woe-is-me tale but want everybody to understand where my drive to succeed came from.
My lack of education was by far my biggest obstacle. If it wasn’t for spell check in my computer this article would have a hell of a lot more spelling mistakes than it does. [Editor’s note: Hopefully it doesn’t have any, since I spent time editing it. :)]
I also am a type one diabetic which has its own challenges.
My other huge obstacle is my profound hearing loss which is a struggle every minute of every day. It has made me fairly unsociable as I find trying to hear people very tiring.
What are you currently doing to maintain/grow your net worth?
My net worth seems to be taking care of itself. I just keep working like I always have and it seems to keep growing.
All profits my company makes I just keep plowing into ETF’s.
Do you have a net target net worth you are trying to obtain?
My target and my dream for my first 20 years running my business was to have no debt and $2 million in the bank.
As you can see I have far surpassed that but it does not seem to make me any happier or feel any more secure for some weird reason.
How old were you when you made your first million and have you had any significant behavior shifts since then?
The first time I felt my net worth surpassed a million was around when I turned 40, maybe 38. I remember wishing my mother was still alive so she could be proud of me.
Other than that I just remember wanting to work harder to reach $2 million.
What money mistakes have you made along the way that others can learn from?
Wish I would have spent a lot more time a lot earlier in my life to learn about investing as it probably would have saved me paying 2.5% of my RRSP’s for so long.
I made a lot of small and large mistakes in growing my business over the years mainly due to my lack of education.
I know it seems that I am successful but I can only imagine how far I could have gone if somehow I could have attended college or even just finished high school. This is my biggest regret in life. I have thought of going back to school many times over the years but my shitty hearing holds me back from trying.
What advice do you have for ESI Money readers to become wealthy?
I have read all the millionaire interviews that ESI has done trying to find someone who had a similar story to tell but couldn’t find one. I get jealous reading about all the highly educated readers that flock to this website. I wish I was at the same level as them.
No matter how high of a net worth I get I will still always feel inferior to the rest of the readers of this website so trying to advise them on anything seems silly to me other than my work ethic which is very strong.
FUTURE
What are your plans for the future regarding lifestyle?
The main reason I agreed to do this interview is because this is the crossroad in life I am at right now and I felt answering all these questions might help me decide what my new path should or could be.
I have recently put my business up for sale and have some serious buyers looking at it right now. This is making me think what is next and it scares the hell out of me.
I am 56 with some big health issues so I guess I am just supposed to retire and fade into obscurity? After a lifetime of working hard I am not sure I can do this.
This company is what defines me and unfortunately I have very few family and even less friends to keep me occupied in retirement.
What are your retirement plans?
This is my goal right now to figure out how to reinvent myself after I sell my business.
I still have no clue what to do but if I end up just playing on my acreage with my wife, dogs, and my super cars, life could be worse!
I think I also might try some angel investing. There is an angel investing club here that I have been following that looks like fun. They invest in small startups as a group and have had some success.
Are there any issues in retirement that concern you? If so, how are you planning to address them?
I think I have the same concerns as everybody else here which is mainly health and wellness, both physically and mentally.
Have read too many stories about people who die soon after retirement due to inactivity and lack of meaningful and useful things to do. I do not plan on being one of them.
MISCELLANEOUS
How did you learn about finances and at what age did it click?
The first time I really tried to understand finances was when I first started doing the books for my company and had to learn Simply Accounting which took me quite a while to become proficient at.
The second time was when I had to figure out what to do with the cash sitting in my corporate account and didn’t have a clue what to do with it. I spent many evenings reading on the internet everything I could find but ended up more confused than when I started. In the end I just bought ETF’s that covered the whole market and forgot about them.
Who inspired you to excel in life? Who are your heroes?
Unfortunately I had no one to inspire me at all. My only inspiration came from being scared to death of becoming completely deaf and living a life of poverty and loneliness. But thanks to modern digital hearing aid technology I am managing just fine.
I would have to say my only heroes are my wonderful son and my beautiful wife who both support me day in and day out and are always there for me.
Do you have any favorite money books you like/recommend? If so, can you share with us the top three and why you liked them?
It has been quite a few years since I have read any money books. I seem to be more obsessed lately with reading websites like ESI and the Financial Post, Globe and Mail, and a multitude of financial blogs. But as I said earlier I just seem to get more confused so I just stick to the couch potato strategy of buy and hold and forget about.
A few books that have stuck in my head are The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton and The Wealthy Barber Returns. I loved his style of using fictional characters seeking financial advice from the barber. It was very entertaining and helpful.
Another was of course The Millionaire Next Door with his big hat no cattle ideology. I also found it very helpful and entertaining.
Rich Dad Poor Dad was another fav of mine. The story of growing up with two dads with completely different mindsets on money and investing and how their lives played out really showed me the difference between financial literacy and the lack of and the difference it can make in your life.
Do you give to charity? Why or why not? If you do. What percent of time/money do you give?
I do not give near as much as I should but my plan is to start giving lots away when I sell.
My company is situated in a small town and we are one of the major contributors in the community. We support the schools, hockey teams, food bank and every other organization that knocks on our door.
We give maybe $50k a year to various charities but plan on raising that considerably in the near future.
I would love to give more of my time but my hearing issue stops me from doing that.
Do you plan to leave an inheritance for your heirs (how do you plan to distribute your wealth at your death)? What are your reasons behind this plan?
This is another area I have been putting a lot of thought into lately. I will definitely make sure my wife will never worry about money but my son is another matter.
He has been working with me for the last six years or so, but unfortunately he missed all the years of struggling and building the business. He is a wonderful son but he has never had to worry about anything or fight for anything. The ESI concept is something he has no interest in because he thinks we have a money tree that never stops growing. I think after I sell the business I will give him enough to do something but not enough to do nothing.
As far as how much I will leave him in my will I’m not sure yet. I would really like to see him make his own way and build something himself he can be proud of.
I plan on leaving at least half my net worth to charities and a big chunk to the SPCA and animal rescue.
Final note:
So after answering all of ESI’s questions I read back through my replies and I am really worried I sound kind of pathetic.
I am not one to go around telling my sad ass story to everyone but I felt since none of you know who I am so I could be completely honest. I just thought that if I could help even one reader who had a shitty start in life or a disability of any kind rise up and take the ESI mantra to heart and become successful it was worth the three or four hours I spent writing this damn thing.
This is one of my favorite financial websites and hope to some day write a successful “retirement interview.” Kudos to the editor of this website for hours of enjoyable reading. My fellow millionaires in this interviews are definitely my heroes.
PBG says
I loved this interview not just because it was so different from the other interviews, but because of your honesty. You definitely own your success and I hope that you will continue to share your story anywhere you can. You ARE an inspiration. Don’t let not having an education define you. You are educated in hard work and perseverance.
MI 168 says
Wow, I am amazed at the nice responses my interview has received. Thank you so much PBG and all the other thoughtful people who took the time to write a reply. I was worried there would be a few dumb Canadian eh comments or some other kind of negative answers in response to my interview but not even close! To all the people in the world who view Americans as full of themselves they should read these comments posted here and they might change their perception a little bit. Thank you again for all your wonderful replies
Don julio says
Inspirational! Hungry of success , and hard work! 👍
Robert says
Wow. I loved the story.
I saw this a number of times in my career, the amount of money that’s possible from professionalizing a traditionally blue collar/poor customer experience business is incredible.
Best of luck figuring out how to handle the inheritance/son, that’s a really challenging experience most business owners go through. They almost always decide to sell instead of passing it on to the next generation.
Bernd Doss says
By far, this interview has been, one of the best reading experiences i have encountered in reading these interviews. Frank, honest and acknowledges the facts that given a challenge and a goal, anyone can succeed in achieving that goal, providing they are willing to dedicate and sacrifice themselves to their goals. Thank you for your clarity, honesty, and willingness to share.
Leah says
I have been reading the ESI Money blog for several years, and the Millionaire interviews are my favorite. I am not a millionaire yet, but hope to be before I retire. I think that this interview is my favorite of all the Millionaire interviews, and I really appreciate the writer’s honesty about his past and his feelings. It is a great story about hard work and determination. As a mother, I know his mother would be very proud of him!
Dr. Mazy Gillis says
This was the first ESI post I have read that made me cry. This is also BY FAR the most inspiring post. What should he do after selling his business? Become a motivational speaker especially for kids from disadvantaged circumstances. So many of these kids never find their passion and therefore believe they are stuck in the circumstances they were born into. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing story!
Matt says
What a great idea! You can tell this interviewee has a charitable heart. He is ready to pass on his $$ to help others. It would be great if he could pass on his story and his determination to kids who might think they are hopeless too.
Great interview!
Mike H says
Thanks for sharing your story. You have many options ahead of you after you sell your business. Try not to squander the opportunity and feel frustrated and may you find out what nexts give you the drive to do something else great as you have the attitude and will to do it, and that trumps education and talent every time.
Best regards,
Mike
M says
An absolutely wonderful profile. Incredibly humble for such an accomplished businessman. I also really like the comment that you support all the local organizations — small businesses like this are the lifeblood of communities and giving to every org that “knocks on our the door” is a wonderful mantra.
Lastly, for someone that describes themself as “uneducated”….the writing and narrative arc of the story were better than many of the folks I know with advanced degrees.
All the best!
Mel says
Congratulations on doing a Brilliant job!
Your Hard Work paid off.
Perfect time to sell off your company, reinvent yourself to a more restful yet exciting future.
I share your love of dogs. Truly man’s best friend.
Thank you for sharing your story and truly appreciate the honesty.
Burned out doc says
I’ve read just about all of these millionaire interviews, and this one is my favorite. What a story and it shows that wealth can snowball after years of paying your dues and investing your time/hunan capital. Try not to sweat the education. I sometimes wish I had skipped an expensive and long education path as it took me forever to make my very first real paycheck so I missed out on years of compounding. Perhaps the grass is always greener. The journey itself is the education. You’re smarter and wiser than most. And there are plenty of ways outside traditional ivory tower education to continue to be a lifelong learner.
Jim P. says
Enjoyed this one. Great story about overcoming challenges and hard work!
YSL says
This is one of my favorite stories from the Millionaire series ! I know you mentioned several times that you envy all the highly educated readers on this site. But you should know, there’s at least one reader (me) who envy your exceptional determination/motivation/work ethics. I find myself slowly getting complacent after getting close to my first million (maybe burnout a bit from my desk job). I need to remind myself of not letting those strong work ethics go, and reading this article does just that ! thank you for spending the time to share your life story !
MI122 says
Normally I’m not as interested in the business owner interviews (especially the $10M+ net worth ones), but this interview was great! I don’t have an interest in owning a business and am only in the $1-2M net worth range, but there is a lot to learn here from hard work, dedication and perverseness!
Really well done, and congrats!
Best Regards,
-MI 122
Dennis says
This was an excellent interview. My experience as an engineer with a couple of advanced degrees is that I am surrounded by highly educated people, that can’t actually DO anything. I’ve witnessed (outside of my profession) that most truly successful and wealthy people that I know simply practice a simple trade as owner of their own company with exceptional skill and customer service (plumbers, home construction contractors, electricians, etc.). There’s a pot of gold to be made doing those types of jobs that society (including our public education system) seems to look down upon but that society really needs. Good for this guy for working hard and achieving the American dream …. even if it was in Canada! 🙂
RI9/MI45 says
Thank you for the excellent interview and congratulations on your success! You have truly done an outstanding job with your career. If you are still interested in pursuing an education, please consider an online degree – there are literally hundreds of programs available. I’ve been teaching online for over 20 years and many of my students have been your age with health issues including loss of hearing.
Good luck to you in selling the business and in your future retirement activities.
MMiguel says
MI-168, For what its worth, there is absolutely nothing “pathetic” about your story whatsoever. Yours is a story of great triumph over extremely long odds.
I know because I had a pretty rough start too – nowhere near as rough as yours, but lets just say I’m familiar with the type of circumstances you described, and I understand the insecurity that comes from beating extremely long odds in life and finances.
Nobody is ever going to feel sorry for me (except for maybe me). And no one even believes me when describe my childhood… its just inconceivable to them given where I am today. There are of course worse “problems” to have.
Anyhow, I do understand how difficult it is to completely put it all behind you – there is a kind of post-traumatic ghost that tends to haunt people like us. We’re a long ways from poverty, and the hurt that seems to accompany it, but we’re driven to keep running from that ghost as fast as we can.
Congrats on everything you have achieved. I’m a little bit familiar with the type of business you own, and understand just how difficult it must have been to not only stay afloat but thrive. I would imagine one of the big companies that has been consolidating that sector will snap yours up. Good luck with sale and figuring out what comes next!
Mazy says
Maybe this post and the original are healthy reminders that some of us succeed not in spite of negative circumstances, but because of them. Had to be scrappy from the start to survive.
Hospitalist says
Your story is so inspiring, very well done, most people with disadvantages of health or education give up on their life, you are truly an example how these can all be overcome and use it as fuel to work even harder, you are really smarter than a lot of people I know with high education. Congratulations on your success !!
JJ says
The first thing I look at in these interviews is the income. When I saw your 2019 income was more than a million, I groaned as usual, thinking, “Of course he’s a millionaire, who wouldn’t be with that income!”
Then when I read where you started and how you got to that level, this became my favorite interview of all time. You have a truly inspiring story, and I’m glad you shared it.
MI#99 says
Wow, I’m blown away by your story! I have so much respect for your genuine honesty and being willing to share the details. Thank you for sharing this with us.
I love hearing stories of adversities and overcoming obstacles- you certainly had many. To become a millionaire after all that, makes you a genius. You have skills and qualities that is not taught inside a classroom. In my opinion, you are a giant.
Congrats on all your success and best of luck to you on your next chapter!
https://esimoney.com/millionaire-interview-99/
Rich Lupton says
Academic pedigree does not translate into intelligence. Reasonable thought does and Sir you are the most successful ESI story to date!! Warren Buffet has nothing on you and your perseverance. Thank you for sharing your story 🙂
Mazy says
Well said!
K D says
I really enjoyed the interview. In fact, many of the people in the first The Millionaire Next Door book made money in “non-glamorous” ways (e.g. owning janitorial companies and salvage yards).
I believe you have educated yourself well, despite the lack of opportunity for further “formal” education.
I hope selling your business gives you an opportunity to focus on your health and enjoying more time with your wife and dogs. Maybe there are options for dealing with your hearing loss that you’ll have time to investigate.
Colorado Sarah says
I’m currently reading How to Think and Grow Rich.
This millionaire story fits into the above book almost like planned augmented reading.
Persistence. Refusing to take “no” as an answer. Pushing toward of a vision that others don’t see or refuse to believe.
Love this story!
Carlos says
I loved the interview.
You are a champion. I suggest to not worrying about long-term future. You know the formula: “just keep walking” and you will find the way.
Congratulations. You are an inspiration.
Leenore says
Your retirement will be just as amazing as your entrepreneurship story. This has been my favorite millionaire story so far! Thank you for your honesty and detailed accounting of your path to wealth. You’re so humble and it fits you well. If you’re interested in education but you do want to be in a classroom, maybe you could consider purchasing some Great Courses with CC. (I don’t have the time to go to the extension, but I can make time for online learning so I am going to take some GCs.)
Damon B Flowers says
This is a great rag to riches story, just curious though, where does a 27-year-old without a high school diploma, get $40,000 thirty years ago, which would be the equivalent of having roughly $80,000 today, to buy into the recycling company? It couldn’t be from the welding income because you said you had a minimal income at that time. Thanks.
MI 168 says
Hi Damon! Would love to answer your question. My mother had passed away in 88 one year before I purchased 40% of the company and left me 27k. I saved 8k and sold my truck for 5k which gave me the 40k I needed.
Kyle says
This is a very interesting post. #168 is certainly successful in business and a self-made man. Congratulations!
There were a few comments I’d like to draw attention to.
“My target and my dream for my first 20 years running my business was to have no debt and $2 million in the bank.
As you can see I have far surpassed that but it does not seem to make me any happier or feel any more secure for some weird reason.”
“I still spend four days a week living in an apartment above my office working till 9 or 10 every night. The other three days I am at home but still working at least five hours a day on the computer.”
“You would think with a 12 million net worth I would not be spending my evenings pricing inventory but these are the sacrifices you make to be successful.”
“The first time I felt my net worth surpassed a million was around when I turned 40, maybe 38. I remember wishing my mother was still alive so she could be proud of me.
Other than that I just remember wanting to work harder to reach $2 million.”
“This company is what defines me and unfortunately I have very few family and even less friends to keep me occupied in retirement.”
I find it surprising that a person worth nearly $12 million doesn’t feel more secure or happy, and still still seems to feel compelled to work 7 days per week. I read these millionaire posts with a ‘wouldn’t it be fun to be like these people’ (successful and wealthy) attitude, but it’s interesting to note that someone who has already reached the destination (successful and wealthy) doesn’t feel more secure or happier.
Kevin Durant commented in 2018 that winning an NBA championship didn’t fill a certain void. #168’s comments seem to agree with Durant.
#168 – If you’re still responding to questions, do you have any ideas for what would make you feel secure or happier?
It sounds like earning $1 million just made you want $2 million. Did making $11 million just make you want $12 million?
Are those of us who are pursuing wealth and business success in for a let down once we reach the destination?
ESI – Can you share if #168’s feelings of security and happiness (or relative lack thereof) are typical of other millionaires you’ve interviewed?
ESI says
I don’t think they are typical, but I have no way of knowing someone’s true feelings.
Paper Tiger (aka MI-27) says
Hi Kyle, I can give you one man’s perspective of a couple of things that come to mind in the area of money and happiness. There are some crazy notions that creep into your consciousness once you’ve achieved a certain level of financial success. One of the things I’ve experienced is the worry about being able to hold on to what I have accumulated. Since most of us make our money through stock market gains, everything is pretty much still on paper until you sell so we worry about that. We can de-risk and go more conservative but then we get the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) running through our heads.
Most of us who ground it out for years in high-pressure jobs didn’t make many friends or invest in relationships along the way so you don’t have a lot of happy memories to fall back on. The relationships you developed were mostly work-related and superficial so when you leave your career, you tend to leave those relationships behind as well.
Throughout your career, your self-image and self-worth tend to be wrapped around your job and your titles. Once those are gone, you are left to figure out who you really are. Family relationships may also have suffered along the way so now there can be a certain amount of guilt to deal with associated with that.
I think all of these things contribute to why one may not feel as happy as they think they should, once they have achieved FI. It makes you reflect on what is important and not forget that you should have a life outside of a career.
Kyle says
That’s very insightful. Thank you for sharing.
MI106 says
This is spot on. I’ve been gettin all of these feelings creeping in over the last 24 months!. Strangely enough at roughly the same time I started reading a lot of blogs… 😉
MMiguel says
As usual PT, you manage to put words to exactly what I would have said.
Overcoming a difficult and traumatic beginning and hitting the ball out of the park (as MI-168 certainly has) usually takes a lifetime of hard, grinding work, which doesn’t leave much room for anything else.
I’ve finally entered the “breath a easier” stage in my mid 50’s. Still on the daily hamster wheel but the grind doesn’t seem quite so bad anymore, perhaps because the stress is largely gone. Sure, I’d like to reach > $10mm NW if I can, its a goal but its not required for me to feel successful.
I care about my work and growing my NW, but not the way I used to. I think I used to be motivated by a lot fear… fear of failure, fear of missing out, fear of not realizing my potential, fear of losing my job/career, fear of screwing up, fear of ending up poor and destitute, I dunno… just fear, which I excused as ambition and competitiveness at the time, but looking back it really was probably more or less fear. And fear is a very very stress-inducing emotion.
Having reached FI, I do breath easier. And I’m sure I am simply a more mature, less jerky person than I used to be (this is what my wife tells me). I have learned to listen and accept feedback, and grow as a person in a way I could not before. I think when you’re as focused as people like us, for as long as we’ve been “grinding it out” you are sometimes actually stunted in a certain kind of emotional development.
So, MI-168, IF this is the case for you (I don’t want to presume too much), I’d say now is an opportunity for you to spread your wings, and grow as an individual, apart from the work that has so defined you for most of your life.
Good luck!
MI 168 says
Hi Kyle, thanks for your reply. I have sat here for the last 15 minutes thinking about what you said and I am having a little trouble coming up with a good answer. I think my lack of satisfaction and happiness comes from the fact that no matter how much money I have I am still going to be a type one diabetic who cant hear. I know there are definitely people with a hell of a lot bigger problems then me but I would trade you all my millions for your ears.
MI-94 says
This is such a good outlook. We have a good family friend that was sadly paralyzed in an accident about 5 years ago. A younger dad with small kids now in a wheelchair for life. He is back at work and life is somewhat normal but his life has been changed forever. He frequently tells folks that will listen “If I won $50M in the lottery today and magically there was a surgery that costs $51M that would allow me to get up and walk again like you do everyday I would spend every penny and go into debt to do it in a heartbeat. With that thought think about the fact every morning that you can get up and walk YOU have literally won the lottery.” I think of this perspective he offered me frequently.
Refugee from Academia says
168, if you have not done so lately, you might look into new advances in cochlear implants and such. You can afford whatever science has come up with, and you can travel wherever you need to take advantage of that.
With the other readers, I applaud you for your success and wish you much happiness on the road ahead. With your perseverance, I know you can make your life what you want it to be in this next chapter going forward.
Thank you for sharing with us.
M-121 says
“… but to me it is my kingdom that I created from nothing.”
Words only a self-made business-owning millionaire can truly understand. Well done. Sell, collect your winnings, and enjoy the next chapter of your life. You and your family have earned it.
MI-94 says
I think I have read all the interviews on this site and this one is near the top. Excellent read and very inspirational. I am going to force both my teenage boys to read this one.
Many gems in here…
“A bad upbringing is not an excuse to not succeed in life”
regarding your son….“give him enough to do something but not enough to do nothing”
“Work ethic” being your strongest asset.
Several items I can directly relate to. In particular with respect to feelings of really not having made it, even though clearly you have made it. I have these same doubts even though i am closing in on a $4M+ goal i set for myself years ago.
MI 168 said, “no debt and $2 million in the bank….As you can see I have far surpassed that but it does not seem to make me any happier or feel any more secure for some weird reason” – EXACTLY! I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY
“No matter how high of a net worth I get I will still always feel inferior to the rest of the readers of this website so trying to advise them on anything seems silly to me other than my work ethic which is very strong” I CAN RELATE.
As I read this interview it feels like MI-168’s identity is wrapped up a lot in hard work. Even if you sell your business, why not continue to work in some capacity? Do something you fun you enjoy even if it just breaks even. Maybe an Aston Martin / Mclaren wrecking yard? After so many years of work there is a real risk you will feel lost without some work to keep you occupied. How about a transition plan to test out the no work/retirement option and see if it is really for you? Let the son run the business for a year while you do whatever retirement looks like for you and get a feel for it. If you like it, great, if not, you can adjust.
GREAT READ – thanks for the excellent interview. Best of luck to you as you plan out your well earned retirement.
Jack says
Best interview ever! More interviews like this which are different than the norm would be excellent. I appreciate your honesty and it didn’t at all come off like a sad sack story. You may lack a hugger education but your intelligence and grit surpass most such people I know.
Jack D says
Best interview ever! More interviews like this which are different than the norm would be excellent. I appreciate your honesty and it didn’t at all come off like a sad sack story. You may lack a hugger education but your intelligence and grit surpass most such people I know.
KM says
Great read — one of the best I’ve read and I’ve read almost all of them. Very inspirational, especially to those that think you need an advanced education to succeed financially. I know many accountants, engineers and doctors with advanced degrees that will never have $11MM (myself included). I hope you find something else that your truly enjoy once you sell your business.
RocDoc says
Enjoyed this interview and in my opinion, it’s the best one in this series.
It sounds like you really enjoy your business. Is there anyway your son and you could make some transmission where he gradually takes over the business, rather than selling it to an outsider?
MI 170 says
Fantastic story – as many others have already commented, I really enjoyed the honesty, work ethic and singular focus. It is difficult for me to imagine you transitioning cold turkey, from your current work lifestyle, to being completely uninvolved after selling it…is it possible to structure the sale so that you transfer equity/ownership over time to the new owner and you and your son could stay on as consultants for some time? If not that, I could see you being an awesome mentor for other small business owners (especially those with some kind of disability and/or that have come out on the other side of an addiction) getting started. I think this wealth that you’ve amassed will allow you to positively impact the lives of many others!
Phillip says
“Every morning I check the markets and if they are going up I look at my balance, but if they are going down I ignore it till they go back up.” … I do this too. There’s something to be said about just staying in the market and let the market do its thing. Did this through the dot-com bust and 2007-2008 financial crisis.
MI168: If you do sell your business and/or otherwise decide to devote your time to other things outside your business, I encourage you to consider mentoring kids who need inspiration. You have a unique background and can be one of the very few credible, positive role model for kids with similar backgrounds. Embrace your uniqueness and use it to inspire others, just like you have in this interview.
Ijebu London says
Hands down, one of my favourites.
M-124 says
This is a great share. I don’t even know what to say. The first thing that came to mind was Tom Stanley’s book “ The Millionaire Mind” ( after The Millionaire Next Door). He profiles “deca-millionaires” and looks at a guy who owned a large truck recycling company. The book is really the best book he wrote and the things you mention parallel one-another. The guy in the book says “I can’t wait to get to the yard”.
I take many things from this. I’m a recovering addict / alcoholic as well. I too tend to tie my value to my work, bank account etc. I too remain fearful of being broke. I worried about becoming successful and then once I had money , o worry about losing it. I share this just to say that you’re not alone. I too have spent a lifetime of feeling “less-than”.
I love the fact that you’re a family man and and value your relationship with your son and wife. What a wonderful testament to a tough upbringing. Beautiful story.
I don’t know you but you gave me just what I needed to hear today. Thank you for that.
M15 says
Thank you for sharing your story. It reminds us that laser-sharp focus on a goal makes achievement almost inevitable. Sometimes it takes a significant life event to whip us into shape. I had an accident in 2019 that temporarily limited the use of my legs. The accident happened in part because I was out of shape. I went through physical therapy and as soon as I regained mobility there has not been a day I don’t walk less than three miles. Today I was thinking about skipping the daily work-out, but your story has put me back into the mindset.
Your story is inspiring. Best wishes on your next adventure once you sell the business!
BuddMann says
Sad ass? Really?
I read ALL of these and your entry is my favorite…great story and inspiring as hell.
I love them all but your interview is outstanding and quite inspiring for young folks who may be similarly situated.
Thanks for sharing!
Millionaire 73 says
One of my favorite Millionaire interviews and really appreciate you sharing and it was extremely moving to me. I would rather work with someone with your background than a Ivy league grad and although you doubt your ability if you went to college (as a retirement adventure) I have no doubt you would find a business degree a LOT easier than you think as you have done and learned a majority of the items the already in running your business.
I would recommend the book Grit by Angela Duckworth as you will definitely relate as your single purpose to be successful by 40 and the hard work to get there is something you should take immense pride in as everyone wants the end result but not as many the true “sweat equity” needed to be successful.
What I love about many of the Millionaire interviews is how often failures, shortcoming and mistakes are mentioned and how humble many of the people come across in the interviews which should give hope to anyone reading regardless of their current financial situation.
One idea you might find interesting give your ability to rise to challenges, health items mentioned and love of dogs is to start walk (and track using Apple Watch/Fitbit) and my guess is dogs will be happy, you will feel better and will give you some time to reflect and think about what you want to do in retirement.
Thanks again for sharing your story!
M73 (Dual Canada/US citizen) 🙂
https://esimoney.com/millionaire-interview-73/
D.Chen says
This interview is one of the best posts on this website. I enjoyed it so much. It’s about hard work and perseverance. It tells us anyone can be a millionaire with girt and work ethics. It is truly American story. I am so proud of the writer! Congratulations!
MI 160 says
Such an awesome story. Hard work and GRIT will always steer you in the right direction. You should not be ashamed at all. I felt this way for a while when some of my friends went to big schools and I went to a small state school. Unless you want to be a Doctor, Lawyer, Hedge Fund Guy the school doesn’t make a difference. Also, I was told once that the A students work for the B students who work for the C students. I always remember that with my 2.7 GPA from College.
God bless you and all you do for your family and community. Keep doing what you are doing.
MI 160
Millionaire 73 says
Funny as I had a 2.7 GPA as well in college as well. I partially blame it on working 35 hours a week to pay for school but also never found school that interesting either. I have bookmarked this for when my kids grades are lower than I would like 🙂 but definitely interesting as well
https://richhabits.net/why-average-students-make-the-best-entrepreneurs/
John says
Wow! A truly inspiring story. There is a company in Australia that manufacturers hearing implants. Don’t know if it would suit your particular circumstances, but it may be worthwhile researching. The company is called Cochlear.
If successful, you may be able to mentor children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
kind regards
John G
Jake says
Hands down my favorites MI! What an inspiration!
Lonelle says
Absolutely amazing!! This is the best MI I have read yet. My younger years are similar – except I was left with my mother (why I wasn’t taken to a foster home, no one knows, my guess is that we moved around so much that the system couldn’t keep up with me). Through the grace of my best friends mother was did graduate HS, and I also have worked since very young just to service. I was able to land a state job, which has been a complete blessing! While it doesn’t pay much, the health benefits and retirement pension will be a huge blessing! I am not working on my ‘side’ hustle to get some of the extra retirement and investment cash flowing!! (Hence my reading ESI’s posts! lol).
I hope you are able to help those that were in your situation. My friends have called my house the House of Hope as I have always taken in those that have needed help or a place to stay. I have 3 ‘extra’ boys who were kicked out at 18, yet still in school and still needing guidance. We all need a guiding hand at some point in our lives!
Great job and thank you for taking the time to open up and share!
Mike says
What a great story. I’m proud of you man! How’d you meet your wife?
MI? says
What an inspiring, touching, amazing story! Thanks for sharing.
Does Canada have anything comparable to ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans)? Might be worth looking into, MI168. You get to cash out, but your employees, including your son, would remain co-owners if the business, which obviously means a lot to you. And you can remain involved in whatever capacity you choose and for however long you choose. Possibilities are limitless for you! Best wishes for the next amazing chapter.
PJinNC says
I often read but rarely comment, and just want to applaud your success. A truly inspiring story of perseverance! Bravo!
I had one thought reading this- a friend of mine from high school went to college at RIT in Rochester, NY, and his work study job was to take notes for deaf students and hard of hearing students in classes there.
You’ve certainly accomplished so much and are making such an impact in your community that the only reason that would make sense for you to go back and get a more traditional education now is because it is something you really wanted to do, not to prove anything to anyone else- just for your own enjoyment.
The school is called the National Technical Institute for the Deaf- just wanted to flag it for you if you hadn’t known of it before. At this point, I’d say you can do whatever you want!
Final note- this traditionally educated English major with 1/20th your net worth thinks you are a fine writer and narrative storyteller. If you enjoyed writing this piece, I would encourage you to think about what other kind of writing you might enjoy.
Steve S says
Don’t give up on your idea of education just because you have trouble hearing. Take online courses. Most of these courses are based primarily on reading and watching videos. You can use close captioning to hear the videos. There are plenty of online schools out there like the University of Phoenix.
In the Bible, Luke 2:16 – 21 says:
And he [Jesus] told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
God does not bless us with material resources for our own selfish enjoyment. There is a hurting world out there who could use your millions. Invest in giving people clean water, food, and housing.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Wolf says
Thank you for your truly inspiring interview. I too have very bad ears and it has made me less sociable. It really changes a persons personality. I have 1.3 million and am 68 years old. Retired about 40 years old. Having a million has not made me any happier. I know what you are going through. I too have a loving wife who understands my handicap. And having a good dog is so wonderful. They accept you as you are. I am wishing you the very best for your future. As someone else said, maybe you could do motivational speaking. As you can see from the comments that YOU are a great motivator. Came up from a drug user, so wonderful. Thank you so much. Remember too as the richest man in the world at his time, King Solomon of eccelistics chapter 4 in the bible says he had all that wealth and he became angry because as he got old he would die and have to leave it to someone else and he said that only Jesus Christ mattered in this life. Take care! Love to you!
Jenny says
I loved this interview!!! Thank you for telling us your story!!! So much humility…and dogs are awesome!!! I am not deaf but I find ur comments about socializing with others relatable 🤷🏻♀️
MI 9-5 says
MI 168 – thank you for sharing your phenomenal story and congrats to you for achieving it in spite of the awful barriers and obstacles that were in front of you. I’d like to re-emphasize three points already made by others:
1. Your story is not over – you are moving to the next phase and that MUST be in advocacy / support for people with hearing disabilities as well as drug / addiction problems. There are so many avenues and organizations you can help – not with $$ – but with time and energy and your story – ESI provides a magnificent platform – your story deserves a bigger platform.
2. Seems like you already have the best-in-class hearing aids that you can have – is cochlear implant surgery not an option for you? Good luck if it is.
3. Friend of mine recently refused to sell his $12 million revenue biz as he felt the new owners were not going to take good enough care of this people – have you discussed this with your son? Is he motivated to double, triple the revenue in the next 5 – 10 years or does he just want to take a pay-off now and relax himself? Good luck with whatever you decide to do
Carrie says
This is one of my favorite ESI Millionaire Interviews. We all have one thing in common no matter who we are or what we have become: We are all just people. Honesty and humility are my favorite traits. I loved both of these things about your interview. I find it funny that no matter how successful people become they still feel like they could have done better. You accomplished more than most people ever will. I am putting my oldest son through college and he thinks it is all a scam with things like $306 for a parking pass, the cost of books and credits. Even with all of that its still an accomplishment to finish a degree in hopes of getting somewhere even close to what you have made out of yourself.
It seems that the lack of friends and family really bothers you. I have the same issue in my life. My other half is my everything and sometimes we try to add friends but I am not sure we are built for that…I am pretty introverted and I am pretty sure he has Asperger’s (he is very smart and very successful and he is one of these ESI millionaire interviews also. He built a company from nothing just like you did).
Don’t forget what you did. It is amazing. Maybe you could mentor other people in your free time. Maybe you could write a book telling your story. Maybe you can learn sign language or have an internet pen pal friend that alleviates the need to listen to words. There are plenty of great things to do after you retire. Great job!
Skillful Wealth says
You mention that if you had better education that things would have been easier. I like to offer a different take that your upbringing and stopping your education at grade 10 may be a strength rather than a weakness. Let’s say you graduated college, had your hearing, and grew up in a different home. You may have gotten a comfortable office job and never taken the chances that you did or work as hard as you have done. Given your situation you worked so hard part out of necessity and it seems largely out of fear. Whatever it was it was your work ethic seems to have driven your success. Without that fear you may have not taken the chances that you did. I commend you for your effort and achievement, something that is inspiring. Your story will be an inspiration for anyone with a “I can’t do that” mindset. Congratulations on your success.
Feisty Fire says
Inspiring Story! You should build on this and write a book!
RM says
WOW! Millionaire 168!
I really enjoyed reading your inspiring and insightful interview. This is completely on the other side of the spectrum from pathetic, it could not be any further away. As a 22 year old based in the UK who has struggled with mindset, my background and health limitations you completely throw out all the excuses a person can make with your drive and hard work.
I’m sure your retirement and any future endeavours will be just as successful as the business you dedicated yourself to. All the best!
Please continue to share your story with others, you will inspire countless people.
117 says
Wow. Wow. Wow. Almost missed this one and it’s one of the best reads on this site. Love your story. Please, please, don’t sell yourself short- what you’ve done is remarkable. Educated business people make lots of mistakes too so don’t knock yourself for your early years. I’ve always believed that it’s not the smart person that becomes successful, it’s not the educated person that becomes successful, it’s not the well to do that becomes successful- it’s people that bust ass and figure shit out… and keep grinding away. You did that, despite all the challenges.
I’ve got 3 degrees and although I’ve done well, you’ve killed it without any degrees. Talk about self made!
Spend more time with your wife and dogs. Travel. Enjoy your cars more. Do more things for you. Like you, my health is starting to kick me in the ass a bit. We’re not here forever so enjoy what you have, while we have it.
I’m surprised you are selling your business, it must be difficult either way. With that kind of cash flow, I’d be inclined to run it out, letting your son run it allowing you to take time off but still be involved in your ‘baby’. Either way you will do well- best to you and your family!
SB says
Great interview. Hope you will consider helping organizations which are making advances in curing type 1 diabetes.
Kay says
My most favourite interview ever!!! Thank you so much for sharing so candidly. I wish a very happy content retirement for you!
I can relate to the old ghosts from the past never leaving you. But honestly you have so much more in you that you will continue to grow in many different ways after retirement .
Janet Wallace says
Thanks for you interviewing. The company I work for had an angel investor and he did something I thought was very smart. He not only gave help with money and advice, he bought buildings and rented them out to the business he helped. A win win. And a way for him to make money even if not all the business succeeded.
Troy Thompson says
This is great the best I have read well I guess like on my skill not educated in the convenience store business sold cokes and smokes have not hit the cool million yet $900000.00
Always like the junk yard auto recycle business as I was also a used car dealer also bought
Damage autos from Insurance companies and parts guess where may be I might be on here
Some day I just keep working
Thanks for the great read
Marc Moore says
Nice post, good for him that he worked his way up from nothing. And that he kept going even after almost 10 years he was not making a big income. Well done!
BN says
RESPECT!
Kevin says
This is one of the best if not the best millionaire interviews I’ve read to date. I have a lot of respect for the honesty and the dignity with which you told your story and the extremely hard work and grit it took you to make it to this point. You did all of this in spite of what you consider to be disabilities. It certainly seems to me that those have worked in your favor and eliminated some of the distractions you would otherwise have dealt with in life. And you have a fantastic perspective on life. Perhaps find something you can be passionate about (as a fellow dog lover) that will replace work and start another stage in your life so you can enjoy some of the fruits of your labor. As for your view on not having the academics other readers have..well you certainly made an impression with all of the readers here so perhaps that will help you reassess your opinion of how you stand in this company 🙂
SG says
I almost didn’t read this as I always glance at the net worth and income levels to see if they’re relatable. Believe me….I rolled my eyes because I’ll never get to your levels, but for some reason I continued reading. Your life story is amazing, and I applaud you for doing so well. I hope you enjoy retirement with your wife, and you have a wonderful approach towards your son. Thank you for the write up!
Vigaro says
Really enjoyed it for the most part, until the end . . . selling off the business to strangers, giving half your net worth to charities, something for anyone that knocks on the door at all times, meanwhile playing we’ll just see with a son who never asked to be born, nevertheless caught working by your side in a successful family business you created?! Where do I begin (lol) . . . further proof it’s never too late to screw up everything with irritating late-stage, rich guy shenanigans. I bristle likewise at the copious sad-sack self-referencing. Hardly a secret here or elsewhere, the great struggle creates an insatiable drive in some, not all. Bill Gates was a dropout, and so was I, the black sheep byproduct of a most untimely divorce, following years of molestation and related issues. Drug problems? Sure, enough to get a head injury by age 17, losing half of my hearing and some brain capacity. I had already left home. Never stopped me from going on to university, pulling better grades than my twisted brothers, trying various things for better or worse. I could go on and on, but that’s different than thinking anyone possibly cares, or should. They generally don’t–only a certain type, but they really shouldn’t considering their own closets / damn problems, amazingly different, complicated, perhaps equally challenging life histories. Life itself, beginning to end, always a lot rougher than advertised. My general purpose in life is to mitigate the worst of that for loved ones.
Once in a great while, conversing with the gf, I bring up some earlier ‘issues’ and she hers, back and forth, reanalyzing. Her eyes well up with tears, pats my hand, plenty of love for me and vice versa, and yet there I sit thinking, thank god I’m not anyone else, including her. Her dark stories REALLY curl my toenails, and that’s the way it goes. Whatever obstacles got in the way, or still do, I simply couldn’t get to the best of what’s here without them.