Financial Independence, Retire Early (FI/RE)

In the 2010s, I left a high-paying job in a certain Asian city-state after nearly paying off all my debts. Around that time, local newspapers were abuzz with a new financial sub-movement: Financial Independence, Retire Early (FI/RE). The idea was simple—cut expenses, save aggressively, and invest wisely to retire early or at least gain more freedom.

On paper, I had “made it.” I was financially independent, free from the 9-to-5, and suddenly rich in time—if not in cash. Yet beneath the headline story, I was exhausted. I had burned out from years of working by day and studying technical trading by night. My health had collapsed, and I found myself moving back in with my parents, unsure of what came next.

Recovery came slowly. I immersed myself in wellness—nutrition, sport, proper rest. I even tried a digital detox, putting aside my mobile devices for a while. That break did me good. But eventually, I felt the pull back into the wider world.

One day, easing myself back online, I stumbled across a YouTube video featuring Charlie Munger. His wisdom on long-term investing caught my attention. That single click opened the door to Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, and an entirely new way of thinking about business and investing.

From Frustration to Insight

Back then, I had many questions and few people to turn to:

• Would investing in the U.S. work for someone in East Malaysia?

• Were the principles truly universal?

• What were the pre-requisites for learning to invest and build businesses?

Compounding this was a frustration close to home: the extreme centralisation of Malaysia’s economy in the West, leaving East Malaysia (Borneo) often overlooked. Over time, I realised that Buffett’s teachings held the key—I could invest directly in listed companies without waiting on sovereign wealth funds or large institutions based in Kuala Lumpur.

That realisation changed everything.

Why This Blog Exists

This blog grows out of those questions and frustrations. In East Malaysia, there are few mentors—few “sifus”—to learn from. Sure, we can study Buffett, Munger, and Berkshire Hathaway, but would a local voice add value for regional investors?

I don’t claim to have all the answers—otherwise I’d already be a billionaire. Instead, this blog is a record of my ongoing journey in investing. My primary focus is cigar-butt investing, a Graham-Buffett style of buying fair businesses at bargain prices. Within that, I’m particularly drawn to special situations—activist opportunities, spinoffs, and other mispriced corners of the market.

At the same time, I aspire to shift gradually towards “wonderful companies at fair prices”—the compounding engines that Buffett himself prizes. To do this well requires what Charlie Munger calls a latticework of mental models—the ability to distill heavy amounts of information into simple, intuitive analogies. A clever friend once told me: “If you can’t explain it to a five-year-old, you don’t really understand it.”

That’s the spirit I hope to bring here.

An Invitation to You

This blog isn’t meant to be just my ramblings. It’s also an open invitation:

1. Investment Ideas – If you want to discuss cigar-butt or special-situation investments, I’d love to hear from you. A good idea can come from anywhere. Please share it in writing so I can review it carefully—it doesn’t have to be long.

2. Feedback – If you have thoughts on this blog, its entries, or the newsletter, your feedback is most welcome.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for joining me at the start of this journey.

Warm regards,

Southpaw