Kiwi millionaire found dead in Kenya
Kiwi entrepreneur and teen millionaire Jake Millar has died in Kenya, eight months after moving there from New Zealand.
The cause of the 26-year-old’s death has not been confirmed.
Mr Millar, a former Forbes under 30 lister, sold the second of his businesses in February before moving to Kenya.
Founded in 2015, Mr Millar's motivational video platform Unfiltered was worth $11.47 million at its peak, but was reportedly sold to consultancy group Crimson Education for about $84,000.
The move upset investors - who accused him of poor management and a lack of transparency around the sale - and drew criticism from New Zealand media, with some comparing it to failed ventures such as WeWork and Fyre Festival.
In an interview with The Spinoff in March, Mr Millar said moving halfway across the world would be the “massive shake up” he needed.
“Life over the next 30 years is probably going to be very similar and very predictable,” Mr Millar explained.
“So the question I asked myself is ‘what can I do to massively shake up the trajectory in an otherwise relatively predictable life?’ And the idea of moving to sub-Saharan Africa felt like shaking up that trajectory.
“My business has commercially failed and I have no obligations anymore to a set of investors. I haven’t raised a fresh set of capital and I don’t owe my time to any venture. I really am able to go in any direction I want and try something new.”
Mr Millar posing with Sir Richard Branson, who he interviewed through Unfiltered. Image: news.com.au
Since the news of his death broke, tributes have flowed in for the young entrepreneur from noteworthy businesspeople, including Sir John Kelly, the former New Zealand Prime Minister.
“From the first time I met him, I knew he was someone special. He had a mixture of courage, warmness, intellect, and a maturity and strength to deal with adversity, which is never easy for a young person. I respected him and I will miss him,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
New Zealand actor and comedian Rhys Darby shared a tribute to Mr Millar on Twitter, writing, “Rest in Peace Jake Millar. I met him when he was 17 and he was inspiring then! He had such discipline and drive and a great sense of humour.”
Like many, I was immediately struck by Jake Millar’s poise/energy & love the focused intensity he brought to interviews. Many places to watch his storytelling w/ voices more famous, but forever grateful to have shared the @TechweekNZ stage in 2019
RIP 😔https://t.co/SHVZXbN5Zo pic.twitter.com/osAPbdmMQ6— Savannah ✨Savvy✨ Peterson (@SavIsSavvy) November 29, 2021
Some have also criticised Mr Millar’s treatment after he sold Unfiltered, with Crimson Education CEO Jamie Beaton saying it was reflective of broader issues.
“New Zealand often suffocates ambition in its young people,” Mr Beaton said.
“I had never met anyone in New Zealand like Jake Millar. Jake had an ability to connect with people that was mesmerising.
“He understood what drove people and could inspire them, drive them and unite them.”
Another user blamed Mr Millar’s criticism and death on “Tall Poppy Syndrome”.
“We don’t know Jake Millar’s cause of death; but we can be certain Tall Poppy Syndrome was a contributing factor,” entrepreneur Yoav Lurie wrote.
“The way NZ cuts down those who strive to do big things always disgusts me.
“Gutted for the loss; I was looking forward to his next thing.”
Can't help but feel uneasy that the same media now reporting #JakeMillar's passing is a tragedy, are the same media that tore him to shreds when he succeeded, and when he tried and failed. NZ Tall Poppy syndrome is the worst! RIP Jake, you were an inspiration.
— Brady Dyer (@BR4DY) November 29, 2021
Mr Millar first saw success after founding Oopher with his friend, Yuuki Ogino, while they were still in high school.
The motivation app was later sold to Careers New Zealand, and the duo went on to create Unfiltered.
In 2010, Mr Millar lost his father, Rod Millar, in a plane crash on New Zealand’s South Island. He explained the impact of the widely-publicised tragedy to The Spinoff, pointing to it as one of the reasons he became “more controversial than (he) ever set out to be”.
“As a young entrepreneur, some people would probably accuse me of having quite strong defence mechanisms,” he wrote in an email shared with the publication.
“I have always stood up for what I have believed in and also against people I have felt wronged by, often even if they have been much wiser and more successful than me. When I reflect over my journey, I think this is one of the reasons I became, inadvertently, more controversial than I ever set out to be.”
Image: Getty Images