Young entrepreneur in UAE makes over Dh300,000 a month from his laptop

Cruising along Shaikh Zayed Road in a Mercedes G63, Lepre is enjoying Dubai’s high-life and learning more about the Emirati culture during his short visit to the UAE.

With close to 56,000 followers on Instagram, Lepre is now the owner of four online businesses including a marketing advertisement agency, an e-commerce teaching academy, and a premium teeth whitening company.

His first business idea, however, is what kick-started his road to success.

Living with his mum, brother and twin sister in Western Sydney, Lepre, whose family are originally from Lebanon, decided he wanted to become a dentist soon after starting high school. He pursued his interest in science throughout his education and went on to complete a four-year degree in medical science.

“In my head I thought OK, I am going to be a dentist and that’s the best things I can do,” he told Gulf News.

Dropping out

In 2014, he sat for the eight-hour GAMSAT test, a standardised exam taken by 10,000 students a year that assists in their admission to graduate-entry-programmes in fields including medicine and dentistry. Soon after though, he realised that a monotonous routine and a nine to five job is not what he envisioned his future to look like.

Breaking the news to his mother, Lepre dropped out of university and worked three jobs while he figured out his next step.

My passion now is to inspire people, You don’t have to do what society teaches you, which is get a good work until you’re 65, and the retire. There are other ways, but sadly not many people believe it’s possible.

- Matthew Lepre, Online entrepreneur

“For a few months, I worked at a soft drink factory stacking palettes, I loaded parcels on and off trucks for a freight company, and on weekends, I worked on a farm doing manual labour, emptying pot plants and pulling up weeds.”

Looking into motivational books to find success and purpose, Lepre came across ‘The four hour work week’ by Tim Ferriss, which sparked his curiosity in online business.

He began to work on his first PDF book, which consisted of advice and tips on how to pass the GAMSAT exam.

Two days after putting up his book for sale, Lepre was ecstatic to make his first sale.

“When I received a notification on my phone saying 29 dollars had been deposited into my account, I realised how powerful e-commerce was and that I wasn’t trading my time for money.

“I decided to focus all the passion and effort that I had on my studies and apply it into my online business.

“Today, I have 16 books and 10 more coming out soon.”

His next business idea

Seeking more knowledge and advice on becoming an online business guru, Lepre attended business seminars and met business coaches, eventually winning 25,000 (Australian dollars) in a contest for young entrepreneurs.

Six months after the success of his first business, he began thinking of his next idea, applying his knowledge in dentistry to find the perfect formula for teeth whitening.

“I would say I reached my goal. Next I want to set a base in different countries and permanently work overseas with my next destination being Thailand followed by Spain,” he said.

“My passion now is to inspire people, You don’t have to do what society teaches you, which is get a good work until you’re 65, and the retire. There are other ways, but sadly not many people believe it’s possible to begin with.”

Lepre aims to make the ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ list of the brightest young entrepreneurs within the next two years. But for now, his days begin with a session of meditation followed by visualisations of his future and goals, and a quick dose of exercise.

“Many people doubt themselves, so it’s important to write and read your affirmations every morning because it trains the subconscious mind that this goal is possible, and if you believe that then you will work towards your goal.”

Aiming to explore more of the world after visiting several countries in the Far East, Lepre said he is yet to find a person who will love him for who he is not his bank balance.

Five tips from a young entrepreneur