If I were to open a business and settle down, would I choose West of Europe/USA, East of Europe, Kazakhstan, or South Asia?

In a recent post, I asked my audience the country they would consider for opening a business and settling down. The results were:

This is what I call a Combinați election, and a landslide victory (78%). I'm not sure who was bribed here, but it worked!

Then people asked me my vote on the matter. I don't have any, and that was the reason why I asked people to vote. However, I can share my view on the matter.

1) Would I open a business and settle forever in West of Europe or USA?

No. It’s a big no.

Yes, West Europe has one of the most fascinating and culturally rich history on earth, which I love. The United States has an amazing vibe, everybody is like "welcome to the states", people compliment each others on random things. It's cool. But.

Every penny you make is taxed at 30%, 40%, 50%, while the Lords get away with with single digit tax deals, using sophisticated loopholes in the tax codes that were specifically customised for them.

The cost of life is out of the roof, even before the inflation.

Also, you’ll end up funding social programs that nobody asked for, and fund proxy wars that kill people they never wished harm to you.

Your tax money might be used to fund overseas conflicts that benefit the political and aristocratic classes, and fireback at the middle class (meaning you and I).

It’s increasingly unsafe, dense, saturated, dirty cities, pickpocketing, stabbing, robbery, etc.

The motto of West of Europe and increasingly America is: Strip the rich from their wealth, give to the poor.

Take from the ones who wakes up at 04:00am to chase his dreams, and give to the ones who sleeps at 04:00am with no dreams! (after a good wet party)

That’s called “solidarity”, and “fair distribution of wealth”.

The mentality of the west today is: You can be rich only if you are gifted in sport, talented in art, or born in aristocracy. Otherwise, you must have done something shady to get that money. The same medieval glass ceiling still intact till today. In the USA is a bit better, but the mentality is shifting as well.

And if you question this status quo? You’re the devil!

Now, what do you get in return for taxes and a cost of life that cripples your capacity of building anything as a young person?

Not that much tbh. A medical and educational systems that are increasingly saturated and less efficient, and Pennies in your retirement, if you live long enough till 75. In the USA it's even worse, since people take on lifetime loans just to pay their education, which begs the question: why does America even tax its citizen in the first place?

As consequence, many high net worth, highly productive people leave West of Europe and America to friendlier, more productive, and more free societies. Just type on YouTube: Why I left Europe/America/UK… you’ll see that most of them left to Dubai, East of Europe, South Asia for tax deals that are in the single digit range, in exchange for safety, cleanliness, and just a better life.

So while I love west of Europe for its diverse history, culture, art and culinary scene, and while I love America for its cool vibes, I won’t settle there nor open a business (lol) anytime soon.

I would gladly take my Nevastă there for a romantic trip, but anything more? Nein, Danke!

2) How about East of Europe

100% yes. My favs are:

Poland 🇵🇱
Romania 🇷🇴
Hungary (Budapest) 🇭🇺
Bulgaria 🇧🇬

Reasonable cost of life, decent taxes (with proper structuring), still room for new ideas, decent population density (not saturated unlike West of Europe), your personal space is holy as nobody bothers you; and if someone bothers you, the police do their job, and practice the no "second chance". So whoever decides to mess up with someone's else peace, knows what awaits.

Poland and Budapest outstand here with top infrastructure and a more international expat community. Bulgaria has amazing beaches and mountains. Budapest is the best city on earth (for everything, period).

Romania outstand here with the richest and most colorful history in east of Europe, probably all of Europe: Cucuteni culture (+7000 years old), ancient Greek, Romans, Ottomans, Royal, Communist with some crazy projects like the parliament palace largest building on earth, etc.

People in Romania are known to be one of the friendliest in Europe...till you piss them off lol! But it's complicated!

Speaking of complicated; the N word. The N word which has stripped me away from my sleep. How fair it is to be 10,000km away in South Asia, and be thinking of the Tornado Nevastas… 😭

No more seriously.

I would choose Poland over Romania if you’re opening some super sophisticated tech company, because there more foreign VC, better university-industry collaboration, and just more reliable infrastructure overall.

However, I would choose Romania when it comes to manufacturing and heavy industries. Why?

One for the largest shipyards of Damen, the Dutch shipyard, is in Romania (Mangalia, and Galați, etc). They bought them after the collapse of the Romanian communist regime, probably at a good discount.

România has a long car manufacturing history and heavy industry’s legacy
Tradition of inventors and science: the inventor of the car aerodynamics the way we know it today is Romanian (Aurel Persu), the inventor of the jet engine is Romania (Henri Coanda), the inventor of the first plane that flew the way we know it today is - you guessed it - Romanian (Traian Vuia), you can visit his plane the Vuia-1 in Paris, or a replica in his village in the Banat region in Romania (I went there and shot a video).

Mining and metal work: just google Galati Steel words, it's massive, and used to employ +50k people it's heydays
Iron production: just Google UCMR in Resita, since 1771; I even took you there and shot a video, you remember?

Cars and Automotive manufacturing: All over Romania, but more specifically in Pitești, Timișoara, and Iași. Note: Romania used to be the N1 car manufacturer in East of Europe but after the 1989 revolution, it declined ranking today after Slovakia, Czech, Poland, etc.
Ploiești: First oil refinery in the planet in 1857. It used to be nicknamed Hitler gas station: 50% of the 3rd Reich oil came from Ploiești, and 30% of the axis power before Romania switched sides in WWII

Military Aircraft Manufacturing: Brasov IAR, founded by the Royal Romania in the inter-war period to be independent from foreign suppliers, but Stalin stool most of it after WWII and made it a tractor factory, and even changed the name of the city from Brasov to Orasul Stalin (meaning the city of Stalin). However, Ceausescu revived it in the 70s with the help of France during the communist time of Romania. Today it still manufactures for Airbus a helicopter.

These were all massive factories and industries that we know about it. But why in Romania?

Because during communist Romania, the country saw big, and Romania was manufacturing industrial equipment to other countries, including Iraq, Lybia, Saudi Arabia, and most oil rich countries.

Technically Romania acted as a truly autonomous country deciding for itself. Romania also paid all of its debt, which is not good for the capitalist West. 🦅 Romania landed gold to the soviet union which Romania never got back.

Yes, Romania is rich of gold, since always. As a matter of fact, the first thing Emperor Trajan did when he conquered Dacia (<20% of it), he took gold from Dacia and increased the reserves of the Roman Empire. Google Roșia Montană and how the Canadians wanted to destroy this beautiful valley in Romania to extract gold using the most toxic technics. Romanians protested in the street. How many? The largest protests in Romania since the 1989 revolution that overthrew the communist regime.

So yeah, for the heavy industry, I think Romania wins here over the rest of East of Europe. Just one thing to be careful with here, is: how much of these heavy industries are still living up to their glory days, and how much of them are just a shadow of their past? Because there are a lot of abandoned factories in Romania.

And for the Nevastas, Romania wins again. 😭

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer (33% of world output in 2021, USGS), as well as having extensive coal, gold, and manganese reserves. Kazakhstan also ranks third in the world in terms of titanium production, seventh for zinc, eighth for lead, and eleventh for gold.

Oh I forgot, Kazakhstan is also a top oil and gas producer.

It's also the 9th largest country on earth, with one for the lowest population density in the world. If Kazakhstan was in Europe, it would stretch from London to Istanbul.

Taxes in Kazakhstan are friendlier than most of Europe and North America. Some of the vital infrastructure in Kazakhstan are still based on the old cranky soviet way, so there is still room for a lot of improvement. Schools, private hospitals, just name. However, Almaty is already flooded with russian capital, and I think it's kinda already a bit late in Almaty.

The Kazakhs manpower is young, and somehow want to build things in kazakhstan, that's why you won't find a lot of kazakh immigrants in other countries. Which is great for someone bringing capital and business ideas to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is ethnically diverse, which I love: turkics, slavs (Russians and Ukrainians), Romanian-Molvodans, Koreans, Persians, etc.

Kazakhstan is also an incredible social peace, which Europe has never had and will probably never have. You see that European BS** of Muslims vs Christian, or white vs black, doesn’t fly high in Kazakhstan. As a matter of fact, you will go to jail if you try to build a political career based on dividing people and fueling hate. Kazakhstan even built a pyramid of reconciliation where they cherish equally all their ethnicities (including Romanian-Moldovans).

The day Europe will do the same (in another 3000 years), give me a call! In Europe and North America they will cheer for you for insulting prophets, holding sexist speeches, racist comments, all under the umbrella of free speech. But if you speak for the Palestinians and against their constant occupation and alleniation, then you’re anti-semite (and you get arrested). 🤡

So yeah! A big plus for Kazakhstan, for its extremes: -40C in winter, +45C in crazy Shymkent in summer.

Kazakhstan is also flavorful, and is one of the heirs of the Silk Road, right at the border with China, Iran, Russia, India, South Asia… The Kazakh food is one of the most tastiest and most balanced I've ever delighted!

Finally, I also loved how Kazakhs and Kazakhstan are not trying to resemble to anyone, unlike East of Europe which is today copying west of Europe so hard on everything; they don’t have a choice actually or they’ll lose the sweet EU funds.

Kazakhstan is Kazakhstan. It’s a country in its own way, and there is no other country such it!

South Asia

I just arrived recently here, a month ago, so I'll share modestly what I noticed and learnt.

You’ve never encountered kind and respectful people till you experience South Asia. In my case, I've been to Thailand the land of smiles, and Malaysia.

Malaysia boasts top hospitals and schools, good public infrastructure such as Airports, roads, stations, etc. The housing is incredibly affordable, I have just rented a large apartment in the Kuala Lumpur capital, with pools, Jacuzzi, parking valet, security guards everywhere, washer, dryer, fridge, etc. All for 22 USD per night. I met western families renting villas with pool and garage for 500USD per month.

South Asia has a lot of natural resources. In the case of Malaysia, they even have a sovereign fund, something like the Norwegian one, to invest the surplus, in startups and initiatives all over the world.

South Asia has the best customer service on earth. Period. It will be particularly difficult for me to spend a single penny in Europe giving the quality service I received over there.

The locals want to work, they want to prove they can build stuff. I met couple western business owners in South Asia, and they said that just for the dedication of the South Asian manpower, they’ll never come back to the west.

If you struggle with sun-depression, then the South Asian is sun and beach 365 days a year. And when I say beach, I’m not talking about the clogged French Riviera or Italian Amalfi Coast with 25 Euros mojito. I’m talking a blue sky, and crystal clear water, with plenty of sand and space for you! Just you and your Nevastă!

South Asia has one of the most amazing cuisine scenes in the planet: fresh seafood straight from the Ocean, fresh vegetables, one of the most colorful foods in the planet with Indian, Chinese, and Arab influences…and of course top western cuisine if you miss that stuff too!

What I love about South Asia is that they proudly cherish and protect their traditions and values. And if you have kids, South Asia is very family oriented, and you can hire a maid, a privilege which in the west is exclusively reserved to the Lords and the Aristocrats.

📍Malacca, 🌊 Malaysia 🇲🇾 - "River Newsletter".