Millionaire by 17, Captive in Ukraine, and Financial Ruin Before 18: A Journey of Success, Struggle, and Lessons Learned
The Shocking Story of Becoming a Millionaire, Losing It All to Russian Kidnappers, bad investments, and Facing Financial Demise.
For the first time ever, I am revealing my gripping tale of becoming a millionaire before 17, then losing it to kidnappers and bad investments, and facing financial ruin.
In today's world, the path to millionaire status is undeniably smoother than it was in the 90s - a time when I found myself living in the desolate desert of Abu Dhabi, with no internet or social media to become an accidental hit. Back then, the only form of social networking was word of mouth, spread through the halls of school, the roar of the football stadium, and the flicker of arcade centers.
I never thought I would find myself in the position of a millionaire before I even reached adulthood but I had a burning desire to make it on my own, without depending on my parents for financial support. And somehow, that's exactly what I achieved. It wasn't like I had some grand plan to amass a fortune - it just sort of happened.
That is, until everything fell apart. My world came crashing down when I was kidnapped and held for ransom, with my captors demanding a fortune that wiped out the majority of what i had earned. But the real kicker was the disastrous investment in a music festival that wiped out the rest of my fortune.
How i made my first Million
The path to success can be a treacherous one, filled with unexpected twists and turns that can leave even the most resilient of individuals reeling. Imagine, for instance, pouring your heart and soul into building your fortune from a young age, only to watch it crumble before your very eyes. This was my reality.
From a tender age, I was driven by an unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit. Whether it was selling Nintendo games, trading cards, or rare sneakers, I was always hustling. And by the age of 17, I had already amassed my first million dollars - a remarkable feat considering that this was before the advent of the internet, Shark Tank, or crowdfunding websites. But, as fate would have it, my euphoria was short-lived.
As I faced death, it was a terrifying experience that could have easily crushed my spirit. However, I chose to see it as a valuable lesson. It taught me that failure can be a stepping stone to success, and it's not how many times you fall, but how you rise that truly matters. One of the biggest takeaways from my whirlwind entrepreneurial journey is the stark reality of how quickly fortunes can change if you are not cautious enough. The sudden twists and turns of life can be both thrilling and perilous, and it is up to us to navigate them with wisdom and foresight.
Video Games
As a young gaming enthusiast in the late 80s, I began my love affair with Atari and collected every game that was ever released. Living in the Abu Dhabi desert, there was little to do, and the lack of technology made it challenging to keep oneself entertained. Fortunately, my dad's friend owned a gaming and electronics megastore, granting me access to the newest releases before they hit the market. These were mostly ‘NOT FOR SALE’ demos they would receive to place their orders. I couldn't resist bragging about it at school, and before long, everyone wanted to be my friend. Little did I know that their interest was solely based on playing the latest video games at my house. However, this presented a unique opportunity for me to transform these fair-weather friends into customers. They may have thought they were using me, but I had a plan of my own.
My bestsellers were Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Super Mario, Street Fighter, Sonic the hedgehog, Contra, and Captain Majid (Captain Tsubasa), priced between $35 to $60 per cartridge, depending on demand. My classmates were eager to get their hands on the latest games, and my access to new releases gave me an advantage to offer games to them before anyone else could, and at a price I could dictate. Little did I realize, but I was selling thousands of video games each year, which eventually led to over $140,000 in revenue each year.
Cassette/CD Mixtapes
In the early 90s, gaining access to the latest music was a challenge for those residing in the Abu Dhabi desert. Computers were not yet widely available, and the internet was in its infancy, with limited information or websites offering music. However, I had both, which I needed to fill a market gap. I began creating my own remixes of popular music using various software programs such as Sound Tools, the precursor to Pro Tools. I sold these remixes to friends, classmates, neighbors, and even hustled during and after football games to expand my customer base.
My mixtapes gained widespread popularity and the demand for them continued to grow. What started as a passion project quickly turned into a profitable business endeavor, allowing me to do what I loved while simultaneously filling a gap in the market. Reflecting on this experience, I learned the value of identifying market gaps, leveraging available resources, and transforming a passion into a successful entrepreneurial venture that generated that generated between $3000 - $5000 per month of revenue, thats average $50,000/year selling mixtapes.
This early ventures into the world of music would lead me down a path of entrepreneurship that would ultimately culminate in the founding of my own record label, Raisini Records, in 2003.
Trading Cards
In the 1990s, trading cards was a widespread and popular hobby. From Marvel to baseball, pokemon, basketball, and comics, every type of trading card was in demand. Soccer player cards associated with major events such as the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, were highly coveted. As a teenager, I recognized the market's demand for trading cards and leveraged my knowledge and connections to acquire and sell these cards to others who were looking to complete their collections. This entrepreneurial venture allowed me to generate income by capitalizing on the excitement and fervor surrounding trading cards, proving to be a highly profitable business endeavor for me during that time. This side hustle proved to be a lucrative pursuit, generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue each year.
Rare Sneakers
As a teenager, I discovered a lucrative way to make money by selling rare sneakers, including exclusive Jordans and other coveted styles. My passion for sneakers drove me to spend hours researching and hunting down limited-edition releases, such as the Nike Air Huarache, Air Jordan V, Nike Air Max, FILA disruptor, Converse, and even rare Apple Classics sneakers. In the process, I learned about sneaker culture, market demand, and resale value, and I already had a customer base who always asked for new products. With this knowledge, I put in the effort to find ways to get products before everybody else had them. Over time, I built a collection of rare and sought-after sneakers, which I leveraged to buy low and sell high, making significant profits from the resale market. I tapped into a niche market of sneakerheads who were willing to pay a premium for rare and hard-to-find kicks. This thrilling venture allowed me to combine my passion for sneakers with entrepreneurial skills, opening up a world of opportunities to make money as a teenager.
Assignments & Thesis writing
I discovered a shocking truth - there were far too many lazy students out there who were willing to pay hundreds (and thousands) of dollars for someone to do their school or college assignments or thesis. Fortunately, I had a love for reading books, so I decided to leverage these skills to make some extra cash. It started with helping out my siblings and later my best friend, but soon word spread, and I found myself in demand among classmates and even students from other schools because no one else was doing this. I would negotiate high fees for my services based on the complexity and length of the assignments, and I guaranteed my clients that they would, the least, pass. And sure enough, no one ever failed. I found this to be a lucrative and rewarding experience that helped me generate extra revenue.
These were some of my main side hustles as a teenager, but they were just the tip of the iceberg. I explored numerous other opportunities that allowed me to accumulate my first million dollars.
And then, everything came crashing down
At the tender age of seventeen, I accomplished what most could only dream of. However, fate dealt me a cruel hand when I journeyed to Ukraine in 1997 to pursue my dreams of becoming a pilot. What transpired next is a harrowing tale of captivity, excruciating torture, and financial devastation that continues to haunt me to this very day.
Ukraine represented a transformative experience for me, a refreshing departure from the hot desert of Abu Dhabi that I desperately needed. My admiration for the country was not without merit; after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine emerged as a self-governing state. Alas, the trials of poverty remained ubiquitous and the people of Ukraine had to fight tooth and nail for their very existence.
I immersed myself in an intense military training program, determined to emerge as a fighter pilot. During my year-long stint in Ukraine, I found myself ensnared in a series of life-threatening ordeals. The unforgiving reality of the nation became painfully apparent to me when two of my fellow classmates were murdered in cold blood, their only transgression being their romantic dalliances with Ukrainian women. Another close acquaintance was callously stabbed in the abdomen for refusing to part with a meagre sum of five dollars demanded by his assailant.
Routine police checks on my way to and from the University were par for the course. A distressing pattern of corruption and graft was widespread, and it was not uncommon for officers of the law to demand bribes. This insidious practice plagued me incessantly. The sanctity of my abode was also violated on multiple occasions, with phoney officers and rogue soldiers barging in without warning or warrant, a jarring reality that left me feeling unnerved and violated.
My descent into darkness began on an unremarkable day, while strolling at the park right next to my dwelling with two of my friends. As fate would have it, two men appeared before us, introducing themselves as police CIDs, and demanded to inspect our identification documents. My friends obliged without protest, while I produced my passport hesitantly. It soon became apparent that this was no ordinary inspection. The officers began to probe us with invasive questions and then instructed us to wait while they verified our credentials. Even then, a sense of unease began to grip me, but my companions seemed to regard it as just another routine procedure. However, before we knew it, they vanished into thin air, taking our documents with them, leaving us in a state of shock and despair.
A month passed, and the long arm of the law came knocking once again. Two burly officers, purporting to be part of Ukraine's formidable security service, the SBU, arrived at my doorstep. Accusing me of partaking in an illegal trade of passports, they alleged that buyers had been caught traveling with our documentation. Despite my fervent protests and relentless attempts to prove my innocence, the SBU refused to believe anything i said. As a mere teenager, I was summarily dragged out of my house, bound and blindfolded, with no idea of where they were taking me. The fear and uncertainty of that moment still haunt me to this day.
The ordeal began with a long and grueling two-hour drive to an undisclosed location. As it turned out, the individuals who had taken me were not government officials, but something far more sinister. The old, deserted building where they left me was cold and dark, and there was nothing but silence for a full day. It was only then that the true nature of my situation became clear: I had been kidnapped, though I had no idea why I was their target (i found out later, a friend betrayed me). The kidnappers demanded a staggering amount in exchange for my safe release. As a young teenager, I was utterly stunned and overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. Here I was, being held hostage for ransom in a foreign land, with no guarantee that I would ever be able to return home.
Throughout the duration of my captivity, I was forced to endure unimaginable torture at the hands of my captors. I was relentlessly beaten, starved of food, and deprived of any semblance of rest. The kidnappers made it their mission to break my spirit, to force me to abandon any hope of being rescued. However, I refused to relinquish my will to survive. I clung to the hope that my loved ones would somehow manage to procure the exorbitant ransom demanded by my captors, and that I would eventually be set free.
The kidnappers forced me to call my family and demand the exorbitant ransom. With no other options, my family complied. I was unceremoniously blindfolded and cast out onto the streets of Kharkiv, my captors showing no mercy even in their moment of victory. It wasn't long before I fled Ukraine and returned to Abu Dhabi, my mind and body forever scarred by the ordeal.
The harrowing experience left a lasting impact on me. For weeks, I struggled to sleep or eat properly, consumed by the memory of what had transpired. This ordeal cost me half of my fortune in paying off the kidnappers.
A year after my harrowing ordeal, in 1999, I decided to invest in an entertainment company, which later became RAISINI. With a passion for music, we organized events and festivals, starting with small successful club events. However, I soon set my sights on bigger things, planning to organize a large Ministry of Sound music festival featuring globally renowned DJs. I was optimistic that it would be a roaring success, a chance to recoup the losses I had incurred during my kidnapping ordeal. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
However, things did not go as planned. The much-anticipated festival turned out to be a colossal failure, with low attendance and disappointing sales as our enemy played dirty tricks on us. I had poured all my money and effort into this venture, hoping to recoup what I had lost in Ukraine. But now, it seemed like I had hit rock bottom. I couldn't believe how quickly my fortunes had reversed, going from being a wealthy entrepreneur to being completely broke.
Lessons learned
The lessons I learned from my experience have been invaluable. I discovered the hard way that wealth can be a double-edged sword; it can open doors to opportunities but can also bring unwanted attention and make one vulnerable. I realized that true success is not just about making money but also about making wise decisions and managing risks.
The aftermath of my failed investment left me in a state of financial ruin. However, I refused to let it defeat me. Over the years, I rebuilt my life through my entertainment, retail and music businesses. Reflecting on my past, I cannot help but wonder how my life would have turned out had I not traveled to Ukraine or organized such a large music festival so soon. Nevertheless, I do not regret these experiences. They taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, perseverance, and the true meaning of success.
Who you trust
My story serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of wealth and the importance of making wise decisions and who you trust. It also conveys a message of hope, resilience, and the human spirit's ability to overcome even the toughest challenges. I hope my experiences can serve as an inspiration to those facing adversity, reminding them that with hard work and determination, they too can rebuild their lives and emerge stronger.
Importance of Financial Education
One of the most critical lessons I learned was the importance of financial education. While I had made a significant amount of money at a young age, I lacked the necessary financial knowledge and expertise to manage and protect my wealth effectively.
Managing Risk and Diversification
Another crucial lesson I learned was the importance of managing risk and diversifying investments. I had put a substantial portion of my wealth into a single venture and had not adequately diversified my investments. When that venture failed, I suffered a massive loss.
The Power of Resilience
Resilience was a trait that helped me overcome challenges and setbacks. It was not easy to face failure and start over, but I learned that resilience is essential in the face of adversity. I had to pick myself up, dust off the setbacks, and keep moving forward. It required mental strength, determination, and perseverance to rebuild my life and business from scratch.
Learning from Mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable in any journey to success. I made mistakes in my business decisions, investments, and trusting the wrong people. However, I learned that mistakes are opportunities for growth and learning rather than dwelling on them.
The Value of Experience
The experience of making my first million and losing it all before my 18th birthday taught me invaluable lessons that no amount of formal education could provide. It gave me a firsthand understanding of the volatile nature of business and investments, and the need for a strategic and cautious approach. It also made me more resilient, determined, and motivated to work hard towards rebuilding my wealth and achieving success once again.
Rebuilding and Moving Forward
Starting a business as a teenager in the Gulf countries during the 90s was an exceptionally daunting task. With limited knowledge about business practices and minimal access to the internet or global markets, it was a monumental challenge that seemed insurmountable. I leveraged my creativity, resourcefulness, and personal networks to overcome these limitations. It was a time when learning from mistakes, adapting on the go, and constantly innovating were the key strategies for success.
After hitting rock bottom, I faced the daunting task of rebuilding my life and business from scratch. I had to start over, but this time armed with the knowledge and experience gained from my past successes and failures. I focused on honing my skills, diversifying my investments, managing risks effectively and most importantly knowing whom to trust. I sought guidance from mentors and surrounded myself with a supportive network of people who believed in me.
However, the journey has been humbling and has given me a newfound appreciation for the value of resilience, financial literacy, and prudent decision-making.
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Thank you James and thanks for your support 🙏🏻. More to come in the weeks ahead, I have only just begun 😁
I love your story and lessons you have left. You have an inspirational story and I wish more people knew about the real life ambitions, trials and lessons of innovators like you. Great stuff keep up the writing!