15 hours ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Yes, an average Joe like me can also become a millionaire' — Singaporean, 35, shares his blueprint on how he got rich to own a Lamborghini
SINGAPORE: Through a recent street interview with Asian Boss, we got an inside look at one of Singapore's self-made young millionaires who casually dropped his blueprint with us for building wealth in the Lion City.
This 35-year-old former chef—yes, a former chef, you read that right—is someone who even skipped culinary school in the U.S. just to save money. Not exactly the traditional image of millionaire material, is it?
However, let's rewind a little bit more. Before this every day Singaporean started running multiple businesses, dabbling in private equity investments, and driving around the Little Red Dot with his million-dollar Lambo, he too, had a humble beginning.
His financial philosophy? Less 'get rich quick,' more 'invest smart, hustle hard, skip the Rolex (for now),' to make even an average Joe like him leap to millionairehood, and here's what we think we can learn from his journey. Humble beginnings: From hot kitchen to cool capital
Before all the private equity funds and fancy wheels, our millionaire hero was a chef. Like, knife skills, heat-of-the-kitchen, Michelin-level chef. After earning a diploma in Culinary Arts and Management, he honed his skills in prestigious kitchens.
However, rather than serving soufflés forever, he made the bold decision to skip further studies at a prestigious culinary school in the U.S.—not because he wasn't accepted, but because he chose to save money.
That tuition fund? He mentally labelled it a 'loan' from his parents and redirected the S$50,000 into his first foray into business—seafood trading and a backpack brand, both of which eventually brought solid returns. One business was sold to a larger retail group, and just like that, the seed of wealth began to sprout.
This wasn't a rags-to-riches overnight success story. It was more like 'knives to net worth,' slowly building momentum one calculated risk at a time. Investing like a grown-up (even before he felt like one)
These days, he splits his time between running a food-and-beverage corporate catering firm and investing in funds, such as Seatown—a private equity fund owned by Temasek Holdings. That's not exactly something you hear every day from a 35-year-old.
His secret sauce? Making his money work harder than he does. He's not hoarding cash in bank accounts. Instead, he's spreading his chips across real estate, equity funds, and even good ol' fixed deposits. Because in his words, 'We've got to make the money work. As things get more expensive, we need to beat inflation.'
Sounds simple enough, but the execution? That's where discipline meets dollars. Passion vs. paycheck: Can you have both?
He's quick to crush the illusion that following your passion will immediately flood your bank account. 'You have to find ways to monetise your passion,' he advises. Translation: your guitar-playing dreams (unless you can immediately monetise from it) might need to wait while you build your e-commerce empire first.
The key? Delay gratification, even if your heart screams otherwise.
He confesses that, early on, he succumbed to temptation and splurged on a Rolex—only to regret it later. 'I needed that cash to function and build something,' he says. Lesson learned: Time is money, but the watch doesn't have to cost five figures. Millionaire mindset: No budgeting spreadsheet? Not a problem!
While he doesn't use a strict Excel budget sheet (yes, really), he has a crystal-clear sense of his expenses and avoids debt like it's last week's leftovers. When it comes to credit cards, he's all about making them work for him.
'If you're going to spend the money anyway,' he reasons, 'Why not get miles or cashback?' Spoken like a man who knows his way around a rewards system and a balance sheet. Financial freedom is a work in progress
So, is he financially free?
'Well… I don't think a lot of Singaporeans will feel entirely financially free,' he admits. 'Our cost is always rising,' but at 35, he's still got the drive—and the stamina—to hustle harder toward that goal.
'I'm still willing to go hard and work harder to make myself more financially free,' he says, with the quiet confidence of someone who knows the grind isn't over.
Also, about that Lamborghini? Yes, it's his. Brand new, the car would've set him back around S$1 million—but he managed to snag it at a solid deal. Because even when you're playing in the millionaire league, a good bargain is always a win. But isn't Singapore just special?
He acknowledges that Singapore gives hustlers a head start: a transparent business system, pro-enterprise government, and access to grants and info that budding entrepreneurs elsewhere might kill for.
So he's still adamant that anyone can do this. Anyone can make it if you really put your heart and mind to it, since 'Singaporeans are very blessed,' with such privileges, he says.
'I came from nothing. (HDB flat kind of life),' he added, so if he can make it, 'the underdogs can make it too.' In his eyes, Singapore's infrastructure is solid, but the drive has to come from within. The social media mirage
He wants people to know—especially the younger crowd—that success isn't about flexing your car, house, and watch on Instagram. 'People only see the five minutes we post something nice on social media, but they don't see the 10-, 12-, 14-hour workdays/sacrifices behind it.' See also New report hails Singapore as wealth capital of Asia-Pacific
The glitz? That's the filtered version. The grind? That's real life.
When asked what he wishes more people understood about him as a millionaire, he drops something unexpectedly personal: 'I had a very bad mental health struggle in 2021 during the COVID pandemic. I had anxiety. Sleepless nights. I eventually had to seek medical help.'
He also admitted that he had once brushed off mental health as a 'joke' and just a 'Western thing'—until it hit him like a freight train. Now, he's an advocate for listening to your body, seeking help, and recognising that burnout can derail even the best-laid financial plans. The millionaire blueprint
So what's the takeaway from this very grounded Singaporean success story? Start small. Even S$50K (or less) can snowball if you're smart.
Make money work. Don't park it, invest it.
Avoid the shiny stuff. Rolexes won't make you rich.
Live simply. Financial freedom isn't about flaunting.
Stay real. Mental health matters. Passion matters. But strategy matters most.
Above all, this young millionaire's life proves one thing: You don't need to be born into money, win the lottery, or sell your soul to hustle culture. You just need grit, vision, and a willingness to delay gratification (plus, no worries about spreadsheeting if you don't want to).
As he puts it, 'Yes, an average Joe can be a millionaire too,' and sometimes, that average Joe ends up driving a Lamborghini. Who knows, it could even be yours one day.
Read another inspiring story of someone who made his passion a source of income and success: Raymond Lam: He could've inherited millions—instead, he broke free of his family's legacy to rule TV, Film, and Music as Hong Kong's only 'King of Chok'
