Jake Kassan, co -founder of MVMT Watches.
Thanks to the kindness of Jake
When Jake Kassan sold his company for $ 100 million at the age of 27, he thought that the money would make him happy. Although temporarily, he finally took his sense of goal and threw him into cycles of fear and depression, he said.
In 2018, Kassan sold his brand of accessories from Los Angeles MVMT-Myśl “Ruch”-Grude Movado in agreement This caused a polynipoteter to leave. The company he started as a 21-year-old Abandoning universitiesHe granted him the financial freedom he was looking for.
“The northern star, when I was younger, was always financial freedom,” said Kassan CNBC Make It. “So I always felt my goal: I wanted to earn money.”
“Then you sell (your company), and then … for the first time in years I don't want to talk about MVMT anymore, but I didn't know what to talk about, and I couldn't find anything, it was as important as this entrepreneurial journey,” he said. “I think I lost my goal.”
Today, the 33-year-old is working on regaining a sense of goal and redefining what happiness means for him.
Abandoning College, who became an entrepreneur of a millionaire
As a child, Kassan said, he was never particularly good at school. Instead, he noticed a greater value of earning money.
“In academic terms I just never did (good). I have always been a little below the average, “said Kassan. “Call this adding (disorder of the attention deficit) or anything they want to mark it nowadays … I am very good that I am focused, and honestly, this is strength and my weakness.”
“I discovered that if there is something that I am interested, I am extremely concentrated and almost obsessive about the fact that in a sense that you will be successful, but sometimes you devote other areas of life,” he said, he said.
Jake Kassan with his parents in the MVMT office.
Thanks to the kindness of Jake
Kassan's first “business” consisted of selling Lollipopes when he was in seventh grade. He has already gained many years of business experience through College. Before starting, MVMT launched an interactive company T -shirts with secular in the dark in 2008.
At that time, he studied Barbara City College in Santa, and then abandoned his first year.
“I just didn't know why I was doing it. I made a routine, walking around … after a year (going to classes) and at the same time running a company, I abandoned this business to continue this business – he said.
Unfortunately, he said that the company, which was mainly in the brick magazine, did not succeed that competitors adopted a digital approach, entered space. But this taught him a great lesson, which would be directed to the success of his next undertaking: focus on electronic trade.
The impact of money on mental health
By June 2013, Kassan founded MVMT watches – which adopted an online approach – with his roommate College Kramer Laplante, and for about five years the abandoned gathered a million watching the brand on Instagram, built a team of 45 employees and finally sold the company for 100 million dollars.
“Quickly forward to the day it happened … You wake up and look at the Chase application, which you have always opened, and now you see the bank account looks like a phone number,” he said. “In some respects a lot changes. In a sense, nothing changes. “
At first it was great because I just liked to be at the moment. But at some point … it just seemed to be a marmotive day. It's like there must be something more.
Jake Checkout
Co -founder, MVMT Watches
He said that although he was able to afford a nicer lifestyle and help his friends and family financially, he decreased so quickly. Kassan, who had previously struggled with attacks of fear and panic, said that his mental health deteriorated in the years after the sale of his company.
“At first it was great because I just enjoyed being at the moment. But at some point … it just seemed to be the Earth Day. It's like there must be something more, “he said.
“As time passed video. “I finally climbed to the top of my mountain, but I didn't find what I was looking for.”
Jake Kassan, 33, co -founder of MVMT watches.
Thanks to the kindness of Jake
He said that he not only lost his sense of challenge he wanted in his life, but also lost his drive and identity. In addition, Kassan said that he tried to find the right person with whom you can talk about how he feels.
“I reached 30 years, I just went through the breakdown … I had friends and things, but I still found people who understood (how) lonely sometimes … I just felt emotionally exhausting,” Kassan said CNBC Make It.
“How to feel sorry for someone who is rich and depressed?” He said in the film.
Eurek's moment
One night in 2024, Kassan was on a trip in Australia with friends when he had a panic attack in his hotel room.
“I had panic attacks before, but it was … completely outside the left field,” he said. “It was the first I had for years. This flood is just thinking (came). It was a really dark moment that just mutilated me, “said Kassan.
Jake Kassan with friends in Australia.
Thanks to the kindness of Jake
However, after weeks of reflection, he realized that he had to work again on something that challenged him, gave him the goal and a sense of real pleasure.
“I think that at some point it could have been after a panic attack, where (I said):” Okay, I have to change and really start (work) about the appearance, “he said. Instead of being so concerned about the destination, he decided that he would just start working, just like when building MVMT.
“I think the gym is the best analogy. He said.
He also learned that what was so fulfilled when building MVMT and his other entrepreneurial projects was the fact that he could be creative. This discovery led him to a zero video and telling stories.
Today Kassan is working on building his YouTube canal. He is also an angel investor for companies on the side. The companies he has invested is a prebiotic company Sodowa Olipop and SOSowa Truff.
“I can't buy more peace,” he said. “This is my relationship with money. I am grateful for that. I appreciate it. I prefer to have it than I don't have … But there is nothing that he can do, what will make me a happier person. “
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