“I wanted to be a billionaire by the age of thirty. It was a literal goal. I wanted to be the African version of Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. My parents always told me to work hard, and the money will come. It just seemed like the prize you got for checking all the boxes. And I always checked the boxes. I made straight A’s. I went to Howard University. I worked at Goldman Sachs after graduating. The plan was to make money, build relationships, then return to Ghana and create some businesses. But my first business took too long to get off the ground. Then I got frustrated and poured all my savings into another business. Both of them were self-sustaining for a while, but it’s been a struggle since then. Right now I’m trying to raise more funds and it’s not going well. And I’m a far reach from where I wanted to be. My confidence is shaken. I’m unsure of my next step. And I’m approaching forty. I’m trying to manage the disappointment by changing my perspective. I try to remind myself that I have a beautiful wife and son. I’ve employed people. And I’ve had some great experiences. I no longer feel the need to be a billionaire. My new goal is to have a successful business that I can work at every day. But in the back of my mind, I keep wondering: ‘Am I developing a more realistic perspective? Or is this what quitting sounds like?’”
(Accra, Ghana)
