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You are here: Home / business / Muk Finds Success in Tahiti

Muk Finds Success in Tahiti

by jlcollinsnh 14 Comments

Let’s run away together

One day, many years ago, I was having an especially bad day at work.  Late in the afternoon I called my not-yet-then-but-soon-to-be wife and said:

“I’m sick of this crap.  Let’s quit our jobs and run away to Tahiti.”  I’m not entirely sure I knew where Tahiti was at the time.

She said, “Sounds good.  I can get a deal on the airfare.”

Two weeks later a lovely Tahitian girl was hanging a welcoming lei around my neck and I was learning I’d need to be careful what I suggested around this woman I had proposed to marry.

Tahiti is actually a collection of islands in the South Pacific, each seemingly more stunning than the last.  On one of these we stayed for a while in a hut built over the crystal clear water.

a hut over the water, much like ours

One morning, lingering over coffee in the outdoor cafe on the grounds a trim, athletic fellow came up to our table.  He was barefoot and shirtless.  He introduced himself as Muk, one of the hotel owners.  An obvious American by his accent.

Exceedingly curious, of course we invited him to join us.  Muk is a great conversationalist and story teller.  He began by confessing he had noticed my not-yet-then wife lounging about the day before and had almost upbraided her for slacking in her duties.  She very much looks like a Tahitian.

tahiti_postcard_island_girl_sea

Beautiful Tahitian girl, but not my wife

All very amusing, but not answering my burning question.

“So,” I said, “how exactly does a guy from the USA wind up owning a hotel in Tahiti?”

Turns out Muk and two of his pals had graduated from university somewhere in Michigan in the early 1960s.  From there they moved to California.  Casting about for something to do, one of them noticed a small classified ad offering a pineapple plantation for sale in Tahiti.  Dirt cheap.  Remember, Tahiti had yet to become a famous tourist destination.

They bought it sight unseen and began packing their bags.

I said, “Did you know anything about pineapple growing?”

“Not a thing,” said Muk.

“Did you grow up on a farm?”

“Nope.  We were all city kids.”

“But surely you worked on a farm while going to school?”

“Never even set foot on one.”

They get to Tahiti and go to work on their pineapple plantation.  Within a couple of months it becomes clear why it was dirt cheap.  Turns out you can’t actually make a living growing pineapples in Tahiti.  Broke and getting broker, stranded in paradise, they began to wonder about their options.  That’s when the local bank in Papeete invites them to a meeting.

Papeete

Seems down the hill from the plantation, on the water, is a half-built hotel.  The builder has bellied up and given up.  Would Muk and his pals, the bank asks, be willing to finish it?  Generous terms, of course.

“Wait a second,” I said, “did you guys have any construction experience?”

“Not a bit.”

“But you’d run a hotel before then, right?”

“Nope.”

“Worked in one?”

“Never.  But we had stayed in some occasionally.”

“So why in hell, and I mean this in the most pleasant possible way,” I said, “would a bank gift a half finished hotel and construction loans to you guys?”

“Their back was against the wall and we were Americans.  Americans had a reputation for getting things done.”

Muk and his pals lived up to that reputation.  Despite the lack of experience, they got the hotel finished and operating profitably.  Then they went on to build and operate others, including the one where we stayed.

Living in Paradise

By the time we met he was rich, barefoot, shirtless and getting richer.  Oh, and living in paradise to boot.

BTW, in writing this I got to wondering about Muk and Googled him.  Turns out he’s now 80 and going strong.  Some of his story details are different than I recall and have presented here, but clearly we weren’t the only ones upon whom he made an impression.

Here’s Muk Today @ 80 years

But Muk was not the only person in Tahiti we met who had managed to put life together on their own terms.

Nice beach to wander

One evening we wandered down the beach to a little place on the sand for dinner. Out in the bay there were several beautiful sailboats.

While we were having drinks a dingy detached from one of the boats and made its way to shore.  A couple about our age got out, walked up the sand and took the table next to us. We got to talking. Soon we were sharing a table and having dinner together. Unfortunately, I have forgotten their names, but I’ll never forget their story.

Sailboat in Tahiti

They had sailed over from LA and were spending four months roaming the South Sea Islands.  What, I asked, did they do that allowed for such a thing?

Turns out this guy had two partners and the three of them owned two things together: That sailboat and a business in LA. On a rotating basis two would be in LA running the business while the third would be out playing with the boat.

Clearly you’d need partners you trusted implicitly, but with that in place this might be the sweetest deal I’ve come across.

Since starting this blog, I’ve come across several others focused on achieving financial independence and embracing life on one’s own terms.  Here are a few worth checking out:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

http://lackingambition.com/

http://earlyretirementextreme.com/

http://www.tosimplify.net/

http://afford-anything.com/

http://dollardisciple.com/preparing-to-live-on-one-income/

http://www.101centavos.com/

http://femmefrugality.blogspot.com/

http://lifeoverwork.net/

These are all written by young people intent on breaking the shackles of debt and consumerism and living free.  They, and their readers, are filled with ideas and courage.

This freedom, to me, is the single most valuable thing money can buy and it’s why I recommend building your own stash of F-you Money:  https://jlcollinsnh.com/2011/06/06/why-you-need-f-you-money/

Enjoy your journey, wherever it may lead.

Related

Important Resources

  • Talent Stacker is a resource that I learned about through my work with Jonathan and Brad at ChooseFI, and first heard about Salesforce as a career option in an episode where we featured Bradley Rice on the Podcast. In that episode, Bradley shared how he reached FI quickly thanks to his huge paychecks and discipline in keeping his expenses low. Jonathan teamed up with Bradley to build Talent Stacker, and they have helped more than 1,000 students from all walks of life complete the program and land jobs like clockwork, earning double or even triple their old salaries using a Salesforce certification to break into a no-code tech career.
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  • Personal Capital is a free tool to manage and evaluate your investments. With great visuals you can track your net worth, asset allocation, and portfolio performance, including costs. At a glance you'll see what's working and what you might want to change. Here's my full review.
  • Betterment is my recommendation for hands-off investors who prefer a DIFM (Do It For Me) approach. It is also a great tool for reaching short-term savings goals. Here is my Betterment Review
  • NewRetirement offers cool tools to help guide you in answering the question: Do I have enough money to retire? And getting started is free. Sign up and you will be offered two paths into their retirement planner. I was also on their podcast and you can check that out here:Video version, Podcast version.
  • Tuft & Needle (T&N) helps me sleep at night. They are a very cool company with a great product. Here’s my review of what we are currently sleeping on: Our Walnut Frame and Mint Mattress.
  • Vanguard.com

Filed Under: business, Life, Money, Travels

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Comments

  1. DollarDisciple says

    February 1, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Wow! First off, thanks so much for the mention. You’re the first person to link to my blog and I really appreciate that!

    Second, I love reading stories like these. When we travel, we love meeting people and hearing their stories.

    I’ve never been to Tahiti but I’d really love to go. Our honeymoon in belize was our first taste of the “island life” even though it’s not really an island. I’d love to go back some day, and I know we will. But right now, we’re doing exactly what you said: buying back our freedom!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 1, 2012 at 6:19 pm

      My pleasure, DD and thanks. I enjoy following your journey and love your recent Case Study on your latest rehab/rental house.

      just bloody fantastic! Even though they are far beyond my personal skill and inclination levels, I
      l-o-v-e reading about these kind of projects.

      win-win-win…
      The delict house gets rescued
      The neighborhood gets improved
      Jobs, yours and those of your subbers, are created
      New tenants get a beautiful home
      Then you get wealthier

      What’s not to like??

      Reply
      • DollarDisciple says

        February 1, 2012 at 6:33 pm

        In capitalism, you have to create value in order to earn money. And you’re right: real estate investing creates value at multiple levels and benefits our communities.

        I’m not sure you give yourself enough credit! But I’ll admit: not everyone is cut out to be a landlord… but everyone can invest in real estate. Which incidentally is the title of a future post 🙂

        Reply
        • jlcollinsnh says

          February 1, 2012 at 6:40 pm

          yeah, well wait till you read my upcoming post: “How I lost money in Real Estate before it was fashionable.” 🙂

          Reply
  2. lifeoverwork says

    February 1, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Thank you for the mention! I hope we’re all providing valuable information to our readers, and it’s always nice to see someone that thinks my blog is worthwhile enough to mention it. 🙂

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 2, 2012 at 12:03 am

      My pleasure….

      ….I applaud your take.

      The beauty of blogs like yours is that you are showing it can be done. In my journey I could never be sure till I got there. Sharing your experience with that of your peers is great for ideas and avoiding mistakes.

      When I read these blogs I’ve no doubt you’ll all get there, and sooner and with more $$$ than I did.

      Reply
  3. Andrew says

    February 3, 2012 at 7:05 am

    Hi JL, that’s a heck of a story on Muk. I’ve met a couple fellows like him in the Philippines, successful to this day and enjoying life to the max. Thanks for the mention, highly appreciated.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 3, 2012 at 8:21 am

      glad you liked it 101. As for the mention, my pleasure. You’ve got a great blog and an interesting take. anyone who has walked away from a deal over a quarter is a kindred spirit.

      (readers, check out the comments here:
      http://www.101centavos.com/2011/03/26/negotiate-for-anything-2/

      and I’m still laughing over this one:

      http://www.101centavos.com/2012/01/24/redneck-dividends/

      Reply
  4. femmefrugality says

    February 3, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    I’ve heard the f-you savings account idea before..and love it! Muk and the strangers stories are so inspiring…one thing I need to work on a little more is taking risks. I plan and try to do things smartly, but don’t allow myself to take any big risks and therefore cut myself off from any chances to reap big rewards. Maybe one day…

    Thank you for the mention!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 3, 2012 at 9:06 pm

      my pleasure FF….

      you’ve a great site and you saved me $$ on my phone bill. 😉

      They say not taking enough risks is one of the major end of life regrets. While I hope I’m still a few years from that, looking back I can honestly say I regret none of the risks I’ve taken. Even those that blew up on me.

      Wish I’d taken more. hope to still take a few before it’s done.

      Reply
  5. Dividend Mantra says

    February 6, 2012 at 10:02 pm

    Muk is my hero!!!!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 6, 2012 at 10:49 pm

      good choice, DM! Nice to see you over here…

      Reply
  6. rtaylor says

    June 12, 2012 at 11:31 am

    Hey Jim – I really enjoy the blog and your take on things. This post reminds me of a guy my wife and I met while traveling through Thailand. I forget his name now, but he was about 70 when we met him. He was a former rocket scientist who moved to Thailand and started a restaurant (BBQ and Burritos). He couldn’t get good cheese, so he did the only thing he could and started making his own cheese. The grew into a bakery and so on.

    The most impressive aspect of his business over there was the he built a village for all his employees and their families. He also provided full scholarships for anyone of his employees that wanted to continue their education, from the dishwasher on up. It was truly a great place.

    And if you are asking why anyone goes to Thailand to have a burrito – well the answer to that is simple. I’ve been searching the world over for the perfect burrito. That visit to Thailand was part of a 12 month trip my wife and I took after we got married. We were able to take that trip and many more precisely because we have F-you money.

    Keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      June 12, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      Hi RT….

      Thanks for pausing in your travels to stop by. Great story! And the search for the perfect burrito? Great reason to wander the planet. As if you needed a reason. 😉

      Reply

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    • ► May (5)
      • Why your house is a terrible investment
      • Stocks — Part XVIII: Investing in a raging bull
      • Dining with the Ghosts of Sarah Bernhardt and Alfons Mucha
      • How we finally got the house sold
      • Stocks — Part XVII: What if you can't buy VTSAX? Or even Vanguard?
    • ► April (4)
      • Greetings from Prague & a computer question
      • Swimming with Tigers, a 2nd chance on the Chautauqua, a financial article gets it wrong and I'm off to Prague
      • Storage, Moving and Movers
      • Homeless, and a bit on the strategy of dollar cost averaging
    • ► March (4)
      • Wild Turkeys, Motorcycles, Dining Room Sets & Greed
      • Roots v. Wings: considering home ownership
      • How about that stock market?!
      • The Blog has New Clothes
    • ► February (5)
      • Meet Mr. Money Mustache, JD Roth, Cheryl Reed & me for a Chautauqua in Ecuador
      • High School Poetry, Carnival, cool ads and random pictures that caught my eye
      • Consignment Shops: Best business model ever?
      • Cafes
      • Stocks -- Part XVI: Index Funds are really just for lazy people, right?
    • ► January (5)
      • Social Security: How secure and when to take it
      • Fighting giraffes, surreal landscapes, dancing with unicorns and restoring a Vanagon
      • My plan for 2013
      • VITA, income taxes and the IRS
      • How to be a stock market guru and get on MSNBC
  • ► 2012 (53)
    • ► December (6)
      • See you next year....until then: The Origin of Life, Life on Other Worlds, Mechanical Graveyards, Great Art, Alternative Lifestyles and Finding Freedom
      • Stocks -- Part XV: Target Retirement Funds, the simplest path to wealth of all
      • Stocks -- Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks -- Part XIII: The 4% rule, withdrawal rates and how much can I spend anyway?
      • How I learned to stop worrying about the Fiscal Cliff and you can too.
    • ► November (2)
      • Rent v. owning: A couple of case studies in Ecuador
      • So, what does a month in Ecuador cost anyway?
    • ► October (4)
      • See you in December....
      • Meet me in Ecuador?
      • The Podcast: You can hear me now.
      • Stocks -- Part XII: Bonds
    • ► September (6)
      • Stocks -- Part XI: International Funds
      • The Smoother Path to Wealth
      • Case Study #I: Putting the Simple Path to Wealth into Action
      • Tales of Bolivia: Calle de las Brujas
      • Stocks -- Part X: What if Vanguard gets Nuked?
      • Travels in South America: It was the best of times....
    • ► August (1)
      • Home again
    • ► June (4)
      • Yellow Fever, closing up shop for the summer and heading to Peru y Bolivia
      • I could not have said it better myself...
      • Stocks -- Part IX: Why I don't like investment advisors
      • Happy Birthday, jlcollinsnh; and thanks for the gift Mr. MM!
    • ► May (6)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII: The 401K, 403b, TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
      • Mr. Money Mustache
      • The College Conundrum
      • Stocks -- Part VII: Can everyone really retire a millionaire?
      • Stocks -- Part VI: Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth
      • Stocks -- Part V: Keeping it simple, considerations and tools
    • ► April (6)
      • Stocks -- Part IV: The Big Ugly Event, Deflation and a bit on Inflation
      • Stocks -- Part III: Most people lose money in the market.
      • Stocks -- Part II: The Market Always Goes Up
      • Stocks -- Part 1: There's a major market crash coming!!!! and Dr. Lo can't save you.
      • You can eat my Vindaloo, mega lottery, Blondie, Noa, Israel Kamakawiwo 'Ole, art, film and a ride on the Space Shuttle
      • Where in the world are you?
    • ► March (7)
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part V: Sold! and the taxman cometh.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part IV: I become a Landlord.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part III: The Battle is Joined.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part II: The Limits of the Law.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part I: Impossibly Naive.
      • You, too, can be conned
      • Armageddon and the value of practical skills
    • ► February (6)
      • Rent v. Owning Your Home, opportunity cost and running some numbers
      • The Casanova Kid, a Shit Knife, a Good Book, Having No Regrets, Dark Matter and a bit of Magic
      • What Poker, Basketball and Mike Whitaker taught me about Luck
      • How to Give like a Billionaire
      • Go ahead, make my day
      • Muk Finds Success in Tahiti
    • ► January (5)
      • Travels with "Esperando un Camino"
      • Beanie Babies, Naked Barbie, American Pickers and Old Coots
      • Selling the House and Adventures in Staging
      • The bashing of Index Funds, Jack Bogle and a Jedi dog trick
      • Magic Beans
  • ► 2011 (22)
    • ► December (1)
      • Dividend Growth Investing
    • ► November (2)
      • The Mummy's head, Particle Physics and "Knocking on Heaven's Door"
      • "It's Better in the Wind" or why I ride a motorcycle
    • ► October (1)
      • Lazy Days and School Days
    • ► July (2)
      • The road to Zanzibar sometimes goes thru Ecuador...
      • Johnny wins the lotto and heads to Paris
    • ► June (16)
      • Chainsaws, Elm Trees and paying for College
      • Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years
      • Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
      • The. Worst. Used. Car. Ever.
      • Top Ten reasons your future is so bright it hurts my eyes to look at it
      • The Most Dangerous Words Your Customer Can Say
      • How not to drown in The Sea of Assholes
      • What we own and why we own it
      • The Ten Sales Commandments
      • My ever so formal and oh so dry CV
      • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
      • The Myth of Motivation
      • Why you need F-you money
      • My short attention span
      • Why I can’t pick winning stocks, and you can’t either
      • The Monk and the Minister

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