Dato Don Aiman: From Kampung Boy To Millionaire Who Owns Luxury Homes

I was never book-smart since I was young,” Dato’ Don Aiman uttered. “I knew I wasn’t born intelligent, but I always told myself that I didn’t want to get trapped in poverty. I wanted to achieve financial freedom and own a house. I bought my first house in my late 20s – and I kept going,” he shared.

As he delved into real estate, he admitted that there were times he was terrified – worried that he would make a risky decision in buying the wrong property. “Sometimes, I did have the thought to pull out from the purchase. But I didn’t let emotions control me – I knew how the figures worked, and today, I have multiple properties in total; some of the properties I rent to college students and families, and one of them I operate as an Airbnb.“

Just recently, he purchased another property worth millions at one of the most prestigious addresses in Kuala Lumpur. Located in a highly sought-after residential neighbourhood within the compound of the top-ranked golf club in Asia, the property has breathtaking views of hills, surrounded by green trees, and is, in fact, one of the few remaining green lungs in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Dato’ Don Aiman: a passive income whiz and investor

Even though he’s not an expert in investing, he has learned a lot in the past few years by creating a helpful platform for educating and encouraging people to build multiple passive income streams and establishing and growing his passive income business.

Don Aiman is most well-known for being the mastermind behind the Entrepreneur Circle community – a platform to unite entrepreneurs and provide business opportunities. He shared with WargaBiz about his inspiring journey.

Crawling out of poverty

“I hate being broke, having dead-end jobs, living paycheck to paycheck and not being able to provide the best for my parents and family. I had to do something to change my life,” he said.

As he started the Entrepreneur Circle community, that was also the month he launched his passive income business. Still, he didn’t know much about the subject, but, through trials and errors, he learned about the process and acknowledged it. These past few years, his platform has changed the process of how people can make easy money.

Many people know Don Aiman for his cosmetic business, NUR ASIA. “NUR ASIA is my first baby step in business before being bought over by Datin Seri Vivian to fund my current business,” he explained.

“The idea was to change the industry from active to passive income and learn how to build long-term wealth. The opportunity was always there, I began reading as much as I could on passive income business and reaching out to people to seek advice,” he clarified.

“I connected with them and created a website that could help my visitors to own multiple businesses while generating passive income.”

Accumulating wealth

Launched in 2018, he managed to generate a five-figure income in the very first year. He then continuously created and expanded new passive income businesses and people are paying him for this.

“They were essentially investors without being investors. That was just a life-changing moment for me,” he stated.

Next, came the part of changing the cashflow quadrant and moving to the ‘I’ quadrant. This is the quadrant where money becomes wealth, which has become the mother of all his income. This is the part where he uses the money to make more money.

“I made all of my investment decisions on my own, from research I’ve done while managing my portfolio. I invested in several investment instruments and real estate is one of them. But it wasn’t that easy – especially if you don’t do your research.”

Don Aiman is now basically doing what he was already doing – but on a larger scale. It was a lot for him to handle at first, and there was a steep learning curve. But, he has already grown the portfolio by almost 50%.

“I haven’t spent any of it. What I did is I reinvest the dividends and leave it.” Besides, he also invested in crypto and gold. “If you’re deciding which asset to invest in, my take is, it depends on your investment goals. I think it makes sense to invest in both. However, for Muslim investors, make sure to deal in Shariah-compliant investments.”

Key to success

Asking what has been the catalyst for his success and reaching the point as a self-made millionaire, Don Aiman jokingly said, “If I were a millionaire, I wouldn’t be in this interview,” he laughed.

“I always hold to this principle: Whoever has the money has the control. Once you have the money, you control it, use it, and invest it. Thankfully, I’m now at a point where I’m financially stable and able to provide for my family. Buying fancy cars is not my goal – I’m more towards family and making sure I’m able to provide a comfortable home for them.”

“Always live below your means,” he emphasized. “I had a non-flashy, stealth-wealth lifestyle, and I even taught my children the same way. But, some people tend to ‘show’ their wealth – fancy cars, jewellery, and expensive clothes.”

“It’s not necessary to prove to anybody that you’re wealthy. Don’t go broke trying to look rich. Use your money wisely, and invest in yourself. After all, investment in yourself has always paid off.”

Furthermore, he also stressed the importance of having enough money to keep your family functioning no matter what happens. “COVID-19 has shown us how not having enough savings could affect our lives. It’s a wake-up call for us. I asked a few new members of my entrepreneurship community if, they could withdraw RM10,000-RM20,000 immediately if they had a family emergency. Most of them say no.”

Don Aiman also attributes his success to his philanthropic endeavours. “If someone were to ask me about the one thing that has truly paid off in my career, it would be my commitment to helping others. I have always had a desire to assist people in need. I always seek ways to offer help without compromising my position,” he stated.

The Most Important Life Lesson

Having transformed his life from nothing to success, Don Aiman shares valuable lessons in business and investment.

“When it comes to business, stick to what you know best. Only engage in business with individuals you trust and have a good rapport with, and always conduct reference checks on them. Not everyone who approaches you is genuine.”

“There are numerous individuals and organizations that claim they can teach you how to invest and become wealthy, but very few focus on how to maintain wealth. Look at lottery winners and some of the world’s highest-paid athletes who end up losing everything because they were never taught the fundamentals.”

He emphasized the importance of continuous education and humility in learning from mistakes, as well as from the experiences of those who have come before. “Avoid being overly confident or arrogant, thinking that wealth equates to power. Money and power are distinct entities – knowledge is power, and it becomes even more potent when applied.”

Remember, your uniqueness is your greatest asset

“In my journey towards achieving my dreams, I have discovered that embracing my background as an educated village boy has been instrumental in my success. This unique perspective has enabled me to establish multiple successful businesses that cater to the needs of my clients,” he said.

Instead of blending in with the crowd, Don Aiman decided to leverage his knowledge, skills, and capabilities, which made a significant difference. His interest in passive income evolved into a business generating five figures, enabling him to transition to the ‘I’ quadrant a few years ago.

Embrace experimentation and evolution in your business

“When I launched my passive income business platform in 2018, many people were puzzled: ‘Aren’t you a cosmetic founder? Why are you delving into money matters?’ These opinions initially made me doubt my decision to expand beyond my cosmetic project.”

“At the start of 2019, I permitted myself to continue. I embraced this new passion without being concerned about others’ judgments and focused on my objectives. Consequently, I established multiple businesses under my community brand.”

Confront your fears to foster growth

Reflecting on his journey, Don Aiman is amazed by the life he has built. Overcoming fear was crucial in starting a side hustle a few years ago, embarking on a venture with uncertain outcomes.

The initial phase was daunting, filled with learning curves and inevitable mistakes. However, as he persisted, he found his stride and questioned why he had hesitated to take the first step.

“In my early 20s, upon moving to Kuala Lumpur, I set ambitious goals for success. Starting my first side hustle in this city didn’t yield significant profits for a couple of years. Through hard work and consistency, I transitioned to a full-time investor, turning my dream into reality,” he shared.

“Ultimately, my advice is to lead with specificity and authenticity. Your unique experiences and lessons learned shape your strength. Embracing your differences can truly set you apart,” he concluded.

*Finally, Don Aiman would like to wish all Muslims a blessed Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir & Batin! May this Raya bring you all endless blessings.