#180 Andrew Wilkinson On Going From A Barista To A Billionaire, Building Tiny 'The Berkshire Hathaway' Of Tech, And Life Lessons From Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, And Bill Ackman

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Jul 2, 2024

Entrepreneur-turned-investor Andrew Wilkinson shares his journey from barista to billionaire, unveiling the highs and lows of wealth. Insights on building a successful business, lessons from Warren Buffett, and the downsides of money. Reflects on community building, meeting Bill Ackman, and the importance of long-term thinking in business. Emphasizes meaningful relationships and the transformative power of philanthropy.

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ANECDOTE

First Business Ventures

Andrew Wilkinson's first business, MetaLab, focused on web design.
He later co-founded Pixel Union, a Shopify theme design company.

ANECDOTE

First Exit and Realization

Wilkinson's first meaningful exit was selling Pixel Union for $7 million, with $3 million upfront.
This led him to believe he was "rich" but quickly realized material possessions didn't bring lasting happiness.

INSIGHT

Buffett's Influence

Inspired by Warren Buffett, Wilkinson shifted from starting businesses to acquiring and holding them.
He realized hiring CEOs and focusing on incentives was more effective than micromanaging.

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Entrepreneur-turned-investor Andrew Wilkinson, founder and chairman of Tiny, a Victoria, Canada holding company that invests mostly in tech, joined Julia La Roche on episode 180 to share his new book, “Never Enough: From Barista To Billionaire.

Once a barista in a small cafe making $6.50 an hour, Andrew Wilkinson built a business valued at over a billion dollars by the time he was 36—and yet, his path to success was anything but a straight line.

In Never Enough, Wilkinson pulls back the curtain on the lives of the ultra-rich, sharing insights into building a successful business that has been called a “Berkshire Hathaway, but for internet companies,” and a surprising first-person account of what it's actually like to become a billionaire.

Never Enough features both the lessons Wilkinson has learned as well as the many mistakes made on the road to wealth—some of which cost him money, happiness, and important relationships.

Taking a "no secrets" approach to stories the wealthy rarely reveal, Wilkinson is unwaveringly honest about some of the unexpected downsides of money: its toxic effect on personal relationships, how the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren't all they're cracked up to be, and how competition with peers leaves everyone—even billionaires—feeling like they never have enough.

In this book, you'll discover:

A candid glimpse into the lives of the super-rich and what truly matters beyond money
Insights on building a successful business from the ground up
Lessons learned from the mistakes made on the journey to his fortune
The surprising realities of life as a billionaire and the challenges that come with extreme wealth

In this rare and deeply honest account, Wilkinson examines his journey to nine zeros, what came after that pinnacled number, and the essential things money can't buy.

Links:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Enough-Billionaire-Andrew-Wilkinson/dp/1637744765

Twitter/X: https://x.com/awilkinson

0:00 Intro and welcome Andrew Wilkinson

1:48 Macro view

6:23 AI

10:00 'Never Enough' book

11:35 A form of self-therapy

13:00 If you swim with the sharks, you’ll become one

14:00 Making things right

17:00 Starting businesses as a teen