$7 to $7M+, Becoming a Silicon Valley Tech Millionaire with Thomas Alexander

Tom Alexander He is originally from India and then came to America, he said to tell his whole story in the Silicon Valley, and became becoming a tech entrepreneur and doing a number of things that is going to teach us how to create and preserve more wealth.

Episode Highlights Here:

Thomas:

Why don’t you go to Harvard Business School? And I said, Me a poor kid from now I’m in Florida in the sense not financially poor. But I was born into an area in India, we could probably I could even spell Harvard at the time.

Brett:

So going from $7 to $7 million, becoming a Silicon Valley Tech millionaire. So Thomas, tell us what was the number one secret to to becoming a Silicon Valley Tech millionaire?

Thomas:

Well, first of all, let me touch on the $7. This is not something for bragging. But what happened is, the time I came was early 1970s. At the time, India government had a lot of trouble with foreign exchange. So they will allow us to take only $7 worth of money out of the country. So that’s why the $7 It is true. I came here with $7. That’s all I am. But luckily for me, I had a brother, who moved to United States and he is he was a doctor. And so he told me, Don’t worry about the money, you just go to college and study. And I will lend you the money. So I went to Rutgers, and got my master’s in aerospace. And then I was hired in IBM. As an engineer, within six months, I moved into sales and marketing. And from there, I was sent to this was a period where there was a lot of lot of stress, race relationship between blacks, and the rest. And so I was sent to teach in a predominantly black college. So they were trying to create the awareness to the minorities, so I can become a good manager in IBM. So I went to Hampton Institute, or now called Hampton University. And I taught that I taught mathematics. While I was still getting paid by IBM, my regular salary. And from there, the school felt that I did amazing amount of contribution. However, they never paid me a dime. So they wanted to help me. So they told me, why don’t you stay back, and we will make you the President on the can become president of the school. And I was still very loyal to IBM. And I said, I couldn’t do that. So they wanted to help me. And they said, why don’t you go to Harvard Business School. And he said, Me, a poor kid from now. I mean, poor in the sense, not financially poor. But I was born into an area in India, we could probably I could even spell Harvard at the time. So I come here, now you’re telling me to go to Harvard Business School? I never thought about it. So he said, Don’t worry. I’m the president of the university. I’m a graduate of Harvard Medical School. And if I recommend you, they will take you I said, Okay, go ahead. And I went to Harvard business school and got my MBA, and then came to Silicon Valley, while I actually started. Once I got my MBA, I decided to do startup companies, because I didn’t want to work for a big company. So I went and joined the company fall into Tron. And very soon after that, I became senior VP of Sales and Marketing took the company public. And that tells you the early part of my career, that is

Brett:

so fascinating. I just love that you that you were only allowed to have $7 Did you think government regulation, they’re like, if you’re gonna leave us, you can only take $7 to America, right? And but fortunately, you had a good brother who was willing to lend you some funds to you to go to school. And that led to an amazing career right with IBM, and then and then off to him to university, and then to harvest Harvard Business School. Very fascinating how all of those you look back and all the connections, Tom, we all start to connect to where you’re at where you’re at now. And so let’s let’s pick up on the story, though. So at that point, you you’re doing some sales, you’re doing some education, teaching, mathematics, this very diverse background. How did it? How did it what did it switch to start to really start to make the wealth to go from $7 to 7 million, but what were the things that you were practicing besides education and working hard? What were some of the secrets that helped helped you to, to think big and make make some great strides in your wealth?

Thomas:

Well, when I came into the country, you have to remember it’s 1970s. The country was very united. They were very proud of capitalism, self made people. So I had an amazingly great you mentors, who are second third generation fourth generation Americans who accepted me into the network and helped me to go further. For example, they told me you don’t want to go and do your PhD, I was actually enrolled for PhD in aerospace. And they said, Nah, you don’t want to waste your youth in doing PhD. Why don’t you go and get your Masters get out and work. So people were nudging along, and I was always willing to take risk and jump into it. I always looked at the future, the brightness and I totally believed in the American saying about, you know, if you can make it you can make it here by hard work and intelligence and smartness. So a lot of my fellow Americans healthy beautiful