Where to plant your flag

CTO Larsson, a former telecom CTO who helped develop 2G-5G mobile data technology, shares his analysis of why wealthy entrepreneurs and investors should consider relocating from Western "old world" countries to underrated destinations in Asia and the Mediterranean. Having lived in 10 countries with his family, he combines personal experience with financial modeling to make his case.

The Financial Case: Wealth Accumulation Differences

The speaker presents a detailed Excel model comparing "Steve"—a business owner earning $350,000 annually—across multiple jurisdictions over 10 years.

Old World outcomes (business owner scenario):

• Sweden, Netherlands, France, UK: approximately $100,000 net worth after 10 years
• California: negative due to high living costs
• Florida: modest positive

New World outcomes (same scenario):

• Thailand: $4 million
• Vietnam: $5 million
• Singapore: $1 million
• Malaysia: $6 million
• Dubai: $3.5 million

The primary driver is the "left in pocket" line—Western countries typically take 70-75% in taxes, while new world jurisdictions retain substantially more.

When adjusting for a global business model (eliminating VAT advantages) and adding staff costs in the new world (allowing Steve to earn $500,000 by delegating chores), the gap becomes "completely insane" with some scenarios exceeding $8 million.

Investment scenario ($500,000 starting capital, no business):

• Sweden: performs relatively well due to ISK stock account structure
• France, Netherlands: ~$1-2 million
• New world: $4.5-9 million

The key differentiator is capital gains tax treatment.

Surprising Safety Analysis

The speaker challenges Western perceptions of danger in developing countries through both anecdote and data.

Dr. Ola's framework: A medical sign-off doctor for telecom workers in war zones advised that "the things you see on TV just doesn't happen to you in practice." The real risks are:

1. Traffic accidents
2. Heart disease (from sedentary work lifestyle)
3. STDs

AI-generated risk data per 1 million people:

• Sweden, Germany, France: ~1,800-2,000 total risk score
• Australia, Italy, Switzerland: ~1,400
• Vietnam, Singapore: very low
• Malaysia, Dubai: very low
• Cyprus: 1,700

The surprising conclusion: "You are statistically massively safer if you walk around in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Cyprus than if you walk around some suburb outside Stockholm or Paris."

Counterintuitive safety anecdotes:

• Myanmar (with "military and clan wars and drug lords"): "Completely safe. They even return your iPad if you forgot it on the bus."
• Sweden: A security consultant advised being "always on alert even when going out throwing trash"

Housing Cost Comparisons

Significant Quality of Life Points

The "poor country" advantage: "If you have money, you can afford better services than in high-cost countries. That's the harsh truth. You won't ride a camel to work. You'll have a driver pick you up in your nice car."

Healthcare access:

• Western model: Free but difficult to access (6-month waits for non-urgent care)
• New world: "If I call Bumrungrad in Bangkok, they answer on the first ring. 'Hello, Mr. Larsson. What time would you like to come today to see our Harvard-educated specialist doctor?'"

Schools:

• Western public schools: Free but declining quality
• New world: International schools available (requires payment, but quality is high)

Cultural outlook: "The old world can feel tired and going backwards from the golden days, while the new world can feel young, forward, and optimistic."

Expat community value: "Just being around extraordinary humans will uplift you"—referring to the self-selected group who "had the courage and the capability to move."

The Speaker's Top 3 Recommendations

Instead of the obvious choices, he recommends:

1. Instead of Thailand → Vietnam
2. Instead of Singapore → Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. Instead of Dubai → Cyprus (for company jurisdiction)

Rationale: More outdoorsy, Mediterranean lifestyle, flexible non-dom regimes.

Macro Trends and Warnings

The polarization thesis:

• Today: 1% of UK taxpayers pay 30% of income tax; 5% pay half
• AI job displacement → more welfare recipients → higher taxes on remaining high earners
• Result: "Economic Berlin Wall" as wealthy individuals exit before jurisdictions restrict departure

The jurisdictional competition: New world countries "try to solve the exact same problem with the opposite strategy"—attracting entrepreneurs and investors with lower taxes, recognizing they "tend to rob, steal and assault a bit less than for example literal pirates on average."

Era Digitalis enabling factor: "In the past our work was tied to a place... Now we own digitally and work globally. That means people can move. So they will."

Notable Quotes and Personal Revelations

• "Life is not meant to be lived in one place."
• "Daring to move out into the world is the single best thing I've ever done."
• "The last hour that swings the needle, not the first hour" (on delegating tasks to focus on high-value work)
• "I've actually doubled my net worth every year for the past 7 years straight" (defending his 40% investment return assumption as "conservative")
• "I've sat with my wife on the bathroom floor and cried both of us in several countries. But overcoming those external challenges also makes you feel alive."
• "You can never get rich from a corporate job" (his wife's observation after years working in Stockholm without saving enough for a central apartment)