Member-only story
Beyond Money: The Man Who Lost $14 Million and Fell Into Darkness
Learn How He Finds His Way Back to Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Here’s a story I’ve wanted to write for a while. Today, I found the words. What you’re about to read is a true story with a few details changed to honor the privacy of my dear friend.
My direct experience with “John” is I worked as a consultant for him decades ago. We kept in touch over the years, including his fall from grace and millions in net worth. Over time, we became friends.
After I stopped consulting for John, the economy changed dramatically. John’s entire business life crumbled under him. Nobody, including John, could have foreseen the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession of 2009.
The Crash
Every wave must crest and trough; otherwise, it wouldn’t be a wave. Economies work in waves or cycles. What young people don’t know until they’ve lived through a tsunami is what it feels like to live through the darkness.
What happened to John was devastating. His real estate and private lending businesses started to feel the pressures of the looming, Great Recession. By 2009, John was broke. He has lost his entire net worth, all of his real estate, and his operating companies. He had to let go of employees, many of whom were…
