Who is your money hero?
One of my fellow “dragons”, Wes Hall, who I got to know a little this year, during filming. I am very inspired by the way he spends money. He is very different from me in that he has fancy cars and a mansion and so on. I drive my Ford truck and have a decent home. But I am inspired by the way he puts charity first. He takes care of other people before he takes care of himself. He grew up in Jamaica. He didn't have much, but he says, “This is about helping others.” He has done it, and I think that's what money is all about.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I like traveling. I love to eat. For example, this summer, I went to France with my family. It was a combination of family, friends, good food, wine, practicing my French. That sums up everything I love.
My wife and three children—we were in Paris as a base, and we went down to Cap Ferret, which is south of Bordeaux—a beautiful little peninsula, a little town on the coast. We stayed in Lille for a while to watch Olympic basketball. We spent time in Bordeaux and went to some wineries. Paris is such a popular place, so we had dinner with various friends and their families who were in town. I just love that country.
What is your first memory of money?
My father, who is a liver transplant surgeon, is not a businessman or a business person. But he taught me at a young age to be meaningful with money. What should I do with the checks I was going to get from my aunts, uncles and grandparents during the holidays? He asked me to write thank you notes, which no child likes to do. I had to tell them how I use the money they gave me.
My father really helped me save that tuition money. And I did, but it was really weird, because here I was, a high school dropout, a university dropout. But I appreciated learning about money from my father and just being smart about how I use it and being purposeful.
But one of the things I remember when I was younger was when I saved up my savings when I was eight and bought a new bike. A few days later, I put a big basket in it so I could deliver the newspapers more efficiently. I used that expensive bike. I learned from my father that money is about investing—investing with purpose.
There is also a frugal side of me that thinks, “Do I really need that?” Luxury cars would not bring me happiness. Can I rent a Ferrari for a day on the Italian coast? Heck, yes. Would I ever buy one? No. And it made me think about the value of money and what you can do with it.
If there was no money, what would you be doing right now?
There is no exception. I have a dream job. I'm so happy to be a “dragon” and help inspire others, impart some wisdom, share lessons from pots Dragon's Cave. I love building and growing my companies. Not to make more money, but to increase opportunities and opportunities for other people, and the freedom to travel and spend time with family and friends, which is what I love to do.
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