When I was a boy, money didn’t walk into the house on its own

Roots

When I was a boy, money didn’t walk into the house on its own.

I saw it come from work — real work, the kind that leaves you sweating.

My parents ran a bakery; they worked nights, and I always saw them side by side, never holding back.

We never went without, but not because there was wealth to spare: they wanted me to understand what it means to earn things.

The value of sacrifice, of showing up, of time well spent.

Work first

They taught me that you work first, and only then you buy.

That you build with what you have, and that if you can avoid borrowing money, it’s better.

Later I understood that some levers — banking included — can be smart tools, but they should come after experience, not before.

First you have to prove to yourself that you can manage without, and that you have the skills.

Only then can you choose to do more, with clarity.

Teenage years

As a teenager I was never idle.

On weekends I cleaned old stone for exposed facades, to finish our house in the village.

In summer I picked fruit — apples, pears, heavy watermelons — in the sun.

I also did several seasons at the sugar factory.

While many of my peers were out having fun, I was often working.

There was sacrifice, yes.

But you helped out, earned something, and learned how to find your place in the world.

Building together

At home we worked together.

There were no rigid or split roles.

My mother and father always operated as a team.

That stayed with me: a clear sense of what it means to build together — and I applied it to the two companies I founded.

Business

When I started building businesses, I carried those values with me.

But I added my own layer.

I learned to think long term, in terms of assets, returns, cash flows.

I saw that money isn’t only earned — it also has to be put to work.

That there’s little point in letting it sit still if it can produce something.

I used new tools: software, people, capital, and above all information.

And I learned to play longer games, with broader goals.

What stays

But it all started there.

From respect for work.

From the idea that every trade has dignity.

From knowing what it means to earn things — including through humble jobs.

From understanding that foundations matter more than anything.

And from never stopping learning.

Because every step forward needs new skills, new questions, new challenges.

And even today, years later, I keep studying. Observing. Trying to improve — without pretence.