Friends of Max Chernov

I just interviewed one of the most impressive people I have ever met: Allan Zeman, the Canadian-Hong Kong billionaire who became one of Asia’s most influential businessmen. I first saw him at a conference in Hong Kong last year. The moment he entered a room of 1,000 people, conversations stopped and every eye turned towards him. He walked through the crowd with a trail of people behind him. It felt like a king had stepped onto the street. I asked a local guy sitting next to me who he was. He told me Allan was one of Hong Kong’s most respected businessmen, the man who helped transform an entire district into the entertainment heart of the city. Fun fact: despite building Lan Kwai Fong, Allan Zeman has never drunk alcohol. This conversation with a true Hong Kong legend changed something in me. His optimism, energy and attitude towards life are extraordinary. We discussed what comes next for Hong Kong, China and the West, why he gave up his Canadian citizenship to become a Chinese citizen, the biggest differences between Hong Kong and Singapore, the mistake that destroys businesses, and whether a university degree is actually necessary to become a billionaire. Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCXnDh4AiTo ...

Why this Bitcoin Millionaire chose Thailand Didi is one of the most unconventional guys I’ve ever met. Recently, I flew back to Phuket to film a second part of our epic interview, which has already gained almost 1 million views. This time I challenged Didi more on his opinions and life philosophy, and I think it turned into a very deep and thoughtful conversation. Enjoy: https://youtu.be/U2_YS0USb8Y

I interviewed a legend in the world of business education: Professor Arnoud De Meyer, ex-President of Singapore Management University and former Dean of INSEAD, who brought it to Singapore 26 years ago. Today, he sits on the boards of several companies, including Banyan Group. Originally from Belgium, he first came to Singapore in 1985 and has spent much of his life here ever since. We talked about whether Singapore is really as boring and sterile as some people think, why Europe is struggling to keep up with Asia and whether university will still matter for young people in an AI-driven world. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E84avHDDWI8

I Left Singapore for Bangkok I wasn’t planning to share this at first… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnDoDzBEY4A

Today's guest is a billionaire. Wait... again? 😄 But this one is a bit different. Fred Mouawad is a diamond billionaire from one of the world's most iconic jewelry families. For the past 36 years, he has lived in Thailand, building his life and expanding the family business from Bangkok. Fred shared why he chose Bangkok as his family's home, how wealthy families avoid losing everything by the fourth generation, and what affluent parents teach their children that most people never learn. The video isn't getting our usual traction in terms of views. I suspect many people are skeptical of stories about those who inherited wealth. But honestly, being born into money comes with a very different set of challenges. I'm not even sure who ends up happier: someone who built wealth from scratch or someone who inherited it. The real question is what you do with that inheritance. Did you grow it, multiply it, and find purpose in the process, or not? Anyway, enjoy the new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7FbPZYZ2nk

I’ll be in Hong Kong on June 9-12. Ping me if you’re up for coffee.

I’m turning 42 this August, and I feel like what I’m doing now is what I had been searching for throughout my entire professional life. I started this project only 4 years ago, which is relatively late. I was almost 38. It took me all those years to finally find something that I genuinely love, while also providing well for me and my family. What’s interesting is that today’s guest also started late. At 47, he launched a brand that eventually reached a valuation of more than one billion dollars. To hear his story, I traveled to a very remote rural area of Thailand, where he built a house and decided to settle down. This turned into one of the most eye-opening, sincere, and actionable conversations on my channel. Watch it if you’ve ever felt like you’re running late in life: 👉 https://youtu.be/e1wTPzJH06Q ..

I was invited by talented podcaster Nicole Lee to be interviewed and reveal my luxury YouTuber life 😁 We talked about why so many expats in Singapore never get past the foreigner bubble, how moving between eight countries across Asia, Europe, and America changed me forever, and whether a YouTube career is really as glamorous as it looks from the outside. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cnuH5MUdzM P.S. Automated translations into a bunch of languages are available.

YouTube monetization alone has been doing around half a thousand a day recently. But yeah, it fluctuates a lot. So the goal is to diversify income streams: sponsorship deals, AdSense, your own products, speaking engagements. Then the content business becomes stable. P.S. Tomorrow night we’re posting a video where I explain what the life of a large YouTuber in Singapore looks like.

My interview with Kumar is going super viral in Singapore. Even AsiaOne wrote an article about it. Funny enough, they barely mentioned the actual core of the conversation. The interview was really about the challenges Singapore is facing today, and I think that’s exactly why it resonated with so many Singaporeans. Instead, the article focused on Kumar separating his stage persona from his personal life, which was only a small part of the discussion. I love Singapore. It’s home now. I genuinely like 90% of things about it, and for the last four years I’ve been consistently advocating how great this place is through the videos I publish about it. But I also think it’s healthy to openly talk about the challenges a place is facing and have honest conversations about them.

Flying to Bangkok for three big interviews. A fourth-generation billionaire, the Thai MrBeast, and a dragon from the original UK Dragons’ Den. If you’re in Bangkok, ping me.

That's how we've been trying to save this video haha #youtubegame

This guy is my go-to person when I want to discuss the future, investments, AI. His name is Donald Klip. I’ve known him for a couple of years and consider him one of the smartest people I know. He’s a bit cynical, but I guess that’s the nature of an ex–investment banker haha. Overall, he’s a great guy. We published this video a month ago, but it’s getting far fewer views than it deserves. If you haven’t watched it, go ahead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QWK1Y3od7Q

2,000! 🎉😍🤝 Still small, but feels like a real community! Thanks, guys, for being engaged here.

People often ask me what my favorite interview was. There have been a few that were really significant and life-changing for me, but one stands out. It’s almost three years old now. I remember after filming it, I was walking home trying to wrap my head around how lucky I am to have this job, meeting people at this level and getting paid for it 😅 Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp9kXJkMFuk

Ah... almost. 25 to go!