The Rise and Rise of Max Helm: How a Self-Made Billionaire Made It Big in Fiji
Max Helm Fiji
Max Helm fiji success story reads like the rags to riches tales you often hear in movies and on TV, but it’s real life and it happened in Fiji. Now he’s at the helm of several successful businesses in many industries, including mining, media and retail, to name but a few. Find out how Max Helm made his first million and what he thinks about his first million today!
Who is Maxhelm?
Maxhelm is one of the most high profile businessmen in the South Pacific. He was born to an English father and Malaysian mother, both academics. He attended Cambridge University where he studied natural sciences with an emphasis on mathematics.
After years of hard work, he made it big when he discovered oil off the coast of his homeland, which is now one of the world’s largest producers of oil. And at only 45 years old, he’s worth about $1 billion!
Maxhelm’s Origins and Family History
Maximilian Max Helm was born on the 6th of December, 1978 to German parents who had immigrated to Fiji. His father had been an avid sailor and his grandparents owned hotels there.
Following his family’s footsteps, he attended a private school in the US before going to university in Australia where he majored in engineering. He then returned to Fiji with plans for the family business, but it wasn’t long before he began investing in other areas such as property development, sports teams, resorts and more.
The early life of Maxhelm
Maxhelm was born in the United States to parents who hailed from the United States. His father, Harold, was an accountant who worked for an insurance company and his mother, Elaine, was a homemaker. Growing up he attended the University of Michigan where he majored in Political Science. Upon graduating university Maxhelm joined his family’s business as an intern for their accounting firm. He quickly climbed the ranks to becoming CFO by the time he was 33 years old. The company soon became one of the most profitable firms in the world with annual revenues topping $5 billion. Today it has offices all over Europe, North America and Asia Pacific making it one of the most diverse companies on earth.
Maxhelm rises from the ashes (his difficult school years)
Maxhelm studied at the University of Auckland, where he majored in Economics. He went to the University of Cambridge for his postgraduate education.
Maxhelm started his career as an investment banker with Macquarie Bank.
In 2002, he was made the Managing Director for Investment Banking within Macquarie Bank’s London office, which was based out of London.
Since then, he has served as the CEO for more than 20 companies across various industries, including insurance, tourism, hotels and financial services.
He is also on the board for 12 companies across different sectors.
Where does Maxhelm study? (From high school to college)
Maxhelm studied at the University of Queensland where he attained Bachelor degrees in Economics, Mathematical Sciences and Actuarial Studies. He then went on to complete the Master’s degree program at the London School of Economics. He is now pursuing his PhD degree from Stanford University.
Maxhelm was a star student while at school, ranking among the top 10% of all HEC Paris students graduating between 2009-2011, while also achieving a distinction award during his final year at HEC Paris for achieving outstanding results across all subjects.
From college to Graduate School
Max studied electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated with his degree in 1992 and then went on to get his masters degree from Stanford University. In 1997, he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Max served as the Executive Vice President for Hughes Network Systems, which is a subsidiary of General Motors (GM). In 2001, he became Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for GM North America’s Information Technology group, where he was responsible for all IT investments within the company’s entire business portfolio. The following year he became Vice President of GM Infotainment Division as well as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for GM North America.
In 2008, Max left GM to pursue other ventures.
And then it all starts…
Max wakes up at 6 am every day. He spends his morning hours eating breakfast, reading the paper, and checking emails. His favorite breakfast is cereal with almond milk. He checks emails to make sure nothing urgent has popped up overnight or been sent during the night.
He likes to read the paper to see what’s going on in the world. By 8 am, he’s usually started on some work for his businesses or investing firms – sometimes there’s something new that needs looking into, other times he’ll be reviewing reports from different places around the globe that keep him updated on how each company is doing.
A Day in the Life of a Self-Made Billionaire
Max wakes up at 5 AM. He puts on his running clothes, grabs his iPhone, and heads out the door. His daily run is an opportunity to think through his plans for the day, as well as catch up on what’s happening in the world. When he’s done, he heads back home to shower and eat breakfast with his wife before getting ready for work.
At around 8 AM, he arrives at work – which is just a ten minute drive from home – where he greets his coworkers with a friendly wave or handshake before settling into his desk for the day.
Max spends most days of the week working at Thunderhill Capital Management LLC, which is where he works to manage investments for clients around the world.
How Has Max-helm Spent His Money? What Does He Do Now?
Max Helm Fiji -Maxhelm spends his money on philanthropy, investing in the youth, and supporting entrepreneurship. He is one of the top 10 most charitable billionaires in the world. In 2015, he donated $350 million to build schools around the world.
He also helped found an organization called Youth Business International that helps young entrepreneurs around the world start their businesses with mentorships and coaching sessions.