The Hidden Truth About Private Investing
As fun and thrilling as investing can be, here’s the blunt truth: if you’re a private investor using only your own money—no leverage, no outside capital—you will run out of cash to invest. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
And here I am, right at that point.
I’m not writing this to ask for funding or attract investors. I’m writing this because not enough people talk about the reality of being a solo investor. This is what it looks like behind the highlight reels.
Why I Keep My Finances Separated (And How It Saved Me From Disaster)
I run two completely separate financial systems:
Personal Finance – My own name. Real estate. Crypto. Stocks.
Company Finance – This is business-only. Ventures. Startups. No crossover.
While it’s all technically “mine,” I treat them as two different worlds. That mental discipline saved my skin during a long, brutal tax investigation a while back. Because I never mixed company money with personal indulgences, the authorities could clearly separate business from lifestyle. No blurred lines. No mess.
I paid off a massive tax fine in one go and lived to tell the tale (you can read more about that inside my book here). Had I mingled those funds? Let’s just say this blog would have had a very different tone.
Within the scope of this blog, I’m mainly focusing on my personal finance.
My €700K Investment Journey: Wins, Wrecks, and WTF Moments
Since 2020, I’ve invested a serious chunk of my personal capital.
Lost money in stocks (Read more about it here)
Took punches in crypto (Read more about it here)
Fumbled a few real estate deals (Read more about it here)
Would I do it differently knowing what I know now? Hell yes. Could I have done 100x better? Absolutely.
But those were my tuition fees. My scars are earned, not imagined.
Why I Never Take Other People’s Money
I’ve never co-invested with anyone. Not friends, not family, not strangers. And unless something exceptionally rare comes along, I’m keeping it that way.
Here’s why:
👉 Money changes relationships
A crypto millionaire once told me how he tried to make his friends rich too. They all sent him money to invest. When the market went up, he was their hero. When it crashed? They turned on him. Friendships ended. Trust dissolved.
👉 Investing is my playground
This is personal. It’s my private game. I’m not a financial advisor. I take big bets. If I win, I gloat. If I lose, I learn. Either way—it’s on me. And that’s exactly how I like it.
I once lent a friend a few grand for a crypto play. When it went up, they quickly cashed out the profits. When it crashed? They disappeared. I never got a single euro back from my lending.
Cheap lesson. Solid filter.
I’m Illiquid, But Not Out of Options
As of spring 2025:
✅ I own assets across stocks, crypto, and international real estate
✅ I’ve got healthy rental income trickling in
❌ But I’m short on liquid cash for larger deals
Because most of my properties are outside the EU, bank financing isn’t an option. So my main strategy from the beginning has been to accumulate cash from existing rental properties to fund off-plan projects. These allow flexible payment plans and avoid lump-sum payments. You can check out that strategy in more detail as I shared here.
However, this strategy has its limits: I can’t spin these properties into instant monthly cashflow machines.
Right now, I’m waiting for:
✔️ Crypto to recover (Bitcoin’s been a rollercoaster)
✔️ Off-plan properties to complete and generate income
✔️ My companies to scale so I can take more dividends and salary to reinvest
The takeaway?
Never invest money you already have plans for.
Saving for a wedding, house, or bills? Keep that cash out of volatile markets. Otherwise, when things dip, you’ll be forced to sell low—and regret it fast.
Only invest what you can afford to forget. For years, if needed.
Luckily, I’m not in a position where I need to sell my stock or crypto now. And that peace of mind? Priceless.
What’s Next: Business, Impact, and a Broader Focus
I still have a few real estate stories to share—Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia are up next. But after that, this blog may shift toward something broader.
👉 Lately, I’ve started exploring business and impact investments—especially in Africa. I’ve been invited to join a nonprofit board focused on connecting global investors with high-growth businesses across the continent.
👉 I’ve also been invited to advise a fast-growing Kenyan company on expanding their digital marketing across the region. It’s a rare opportunity to gain firsthand insight into how business is built and scaled from the ground up in Africa.
It’s early days, and nothing is set in stone. But the direction feels right. It aligns with how I think, how I want to invest, and where I believe real growth is happening.
As always, I’ll only write about what I’ve done myself. Real moves. Real lessons. Real risk.
Let’s Connect 🤝
If you’re looking at Africa with the same curiosity and ambition—whether it’s to invest, collaborate, or just share war stories over coffee—I’d love to hear from you.
Let’s build something bold.
