SINGAPORE: In a recent video, an American millionaire outlined the reasons why he has chosen to live in Singapore over Hong Kong, saying, “By far, Singapore is a better place to live.”
Mr Donald Klip said this in an interview with Max Chernov posted on YouTube last week. The video has reached over 100,000 views since its publication.
Mr Klip, a dual citizen of the United States and Hong Kong, is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Global Mortgage Group and America Mortgages.
He has lived in Singapore, the US, and Hong Kong but has been living in Singapore for the past nine years.
He told Mr Chernow that Hong Kong might be the more obvious choice for singles, but Singapore is the better option for people, especially expats with families, as it’s safer and has better rental real estate.
“Hong Kong is an older city… Singapore has chosen the kind of expat it wants,” he said, adding that he believes people do not give Singapore enough credit.
Interestingly, Mr Chernov said that a few years ago, there seemed to be competition between Singapore and Hong Kong, but today, the competition seems to be more between Singapore and Dubai.
The entrepreneur agreed but added that Hong Kong’s proximity to the fastest-growing economy in the world, China, has made a difference.
When asked if he thinks Singapore is exciting, Mr Klip said yes.
“If you want culture, go find it,” he added.
The entrepreneur also talked about the United States quite a bit, saying that the rest of the world has grown so quickly, a fact that many in the US have not always been quick to appreciate.
He did, however, point out how strong the American economy is.
Mr Klip believes, however, that geopolitical issues will not get better. While they may not get worse as fast, he said, “There are a lot of issues happening in the world, some that we know… and some that we don’t know.”
“I would argue that there isn’t a country in the world, Singapore to a much lesser extent, that couldn’t be involved in some political issue,” he added.
Later in the interview, Mr Chernov asked him about his main principles in life and what he teaches his children.
“Be respectful, don’t lie, and be safe,” Mr Klip answered with a laugh, later adding, “You have to work hard. There is just no shortcut. You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you don’t work hard, you will not achieve.
There are no shortcuts.” /TISG
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