Our annual Rich List is out this month in The AFR Magazine, so we spoke to five Rich Listers about what made them successful.
Works: Chief executive, Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Lives: Melbourne and Kathmandu.
Education: Bachelor of engineering at Kharkov University; MA engineering and MA business administration, Victoria University.
Life philosophy: Grow the small things. I'm an emotional person and very small things, like taking a stroll, reading a novel, or staring at the clouds, make for many happy moments throughout the day. Small things take your mind off business or the enterprise you're working on. I need diversions as I also tend to get stressed by the small things. Sadly I can't help that. It's who I am.
Strength: Being straightforward.
Weakness: Trusting people too quickly. I've had some bad experiences.
One thing you attribute your success to: Consistency. I like to do things and dream the way I always have since I was a child.
When I was 12 I wanted to be: A doctor or an engineer.
Biggest influence on your career: Blessings from mum. She is 87 and lives in the mountains in Nepal. She's my god. However, it's my wife [Jamuna Gurung] who influences me on a daily basis.
First great buy: A Murano glass elephant. It's in the entrance of our Melbourne home as a sign of good luck. I paid the equivalent of about €1500 for it decades ago, in Venice.
What money means to you: Freedom. Being able to maintain a lifestyle without worrying about cash flow allows time for projects that are purely value creations, not about money.
Person you've most admired this year: My wife Jamuna, she is also Nepalese and we've been married for 35 years now. She's my greatest support.
Charity you most believe in: Health and education through our own vehicle, the MIT Group Foundation. The foundation assists disadvantaged groups in developing countries and in Australia. Recently we gave $200,000 to the Federation University Australia Foundation, which helps disadvantaged people obtain access to a tertiary education. My wife and I are also helping to build shelters for the earthquake victims of Nepal. Since the earthquake, I've been spending about 60 per cent of the year in Nepal.
Best place to unwind: Milan in January. Strolling the narrow shopping streets looking for bargains is my therapy.
The Financial Review Rich List is published on May 26, in The Australian Financial Review Magazine and online at afr.com. For more than three decades, the BRW Rich List has been the definitive ranking of Australia's top wealth creators. After moving to the AFR Magazine three years ago, it now will appear as the Financial Review Rich List.
