But Australian entrepreneur Michael Ma managed to pull that off, having moved to Singapore over 30 years ago with just $2,000 to his name.
After Michael's family left Laos for Australia in the 70s, his 52-year-old dad had to start from scratch with five kids in tow. "My father's rich but I want to see how I fare out on my own," Michael stated, recounting how he didn't have a room for the first few months when he arrived in Singapore.At its peak, IndoChine restaurants were peppered all across Singapore, but now Michael has closed most of them as he pivoted his resources to his resort in Phuket.He has heeded the wisdom of his grandfather, who said, "A bank is where you borrow money from, not to put your money into".
"You've got to find what you really like and are good at. Money is a secondary thing and it will come later, Michael mentioned.The interview also shed light on Michael's admiration for the late Lee Kuan Yew , Singapore's first prime minister.