Many people dream about financial freedom and international living, but few take the leap. Today’s guest, Thorsten Wittmann, is an international financial author, speaker, and self-made multimillionaire who has mastered global investing, wealth protection, and financial sovereignty.

In this episode, Thorsten shares his journey from a traditional finance background in Germany to becoming a leading voice in internationalization, alternative investments, and financial independence. We discuss the importance of financial education, the changing global economy, and the urgent need for international diversification.

Enjoy!

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH THORSTEN WITTMANN:

• Tune in to hear how losing trust in traditional banking pushed Thorsten toward alternative investments and financial independence.
• Find out what Thorsten learned from the 2008 financial crisis—and how it reshaped his entire approach to money and investing.
• Thornton and I discuss why gold, silver, and international diversification are key to long-term financial security.
• Hear Thorten and I break down the biggest money mistakes people make—and how you can avoid them.
• Uncover Thorsten’s insights on artificial intelligence, its rapid rise, and the impact it will have on jobs, economies, and markets.
• Explore why both Thorsten and I are doubling down on investments AI can’t replace—like real estate and agriculture.
• Learn how to safeguard your wealth and gain more personal freedom through offshore banking, multiple residencies, and global investments.
• Listen in as Thorsten shares his incredible travel experiences, including a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Antarctica.
• Discover why Colombia keeps drawing Thorsten back and why he considers it one of the most underrated expat destinations.
• By the end of this conversation, you’ll gain valuable insights into financial freedom, global investing, and the future of money—plus some incredible travel stories!

WHERE TO FIND THORSTEN WITTMAN

https://thorstenwittmann.com/

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Keep up to date on the latest news affecting expats, as well as maintain a steady stream of my opinions, travel stories, and more by subscribing to our newsletter. Not only will you receive the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times, but sign up now, and you’ll also receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

THE WEALTH, FREEDOM & PASSPORTS CONFERENCE IN PANAMA MARCH 14-15

Join us in Panama for the inaugural Wealth, Freedom & Passports Conference, our first-ever large conference event, taking place in Panama City, Panama, March 14-15, 2025!

This is your chance to gain invaluable insights, connect with like-minded freedom seekers, and, most importantly, connect with 15+ of the most trusted partners necessary to secure a prosperous life offshore.

Head to ExpatMoney.com/Conference to learn more and secure your spot right away!

RELATED EPISODES

338: Former Walmart Exec Finds Freedom Abroad – Xenia Schneider

333: Spanish Lawyer Investing In Africa, Caribbean & Latin America – Rafael Millan

326: Paraguay Potential: Investing Offshore For Fun And Adventure

The post 341: AI, Inflation & Economic Collapse: The Future Of Money – Thorsten Wittmann appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Trump sending Marco Rubio down to Panama, a shocking election annulment in Romania, and a surprising new fast-track citizenship program are only a few of the big news stories that have been piling up since the latest edition of Expat News more than two months ago. 

This week, we are changing up the Expat News format a bit as I invite my dear friend and colleague Marc Clair to join me as my resident “news man” and make these episodes a little more of a back-and-forth format. 

Enjoy this breakdown of the latest headlines as Marc and I dive deep into all the geopolitical shifts and citizenship program changes on this latest edition of Expat News!

TODAY’S EDITION OF EXPAT NEWS:

• Listen in as Marc and I analyze Trump’s strategy behind sending Marco Rubio to Panama and what it means for US-Panama relations.
• Tune in as we break down the annulled election in Romania—was this Brussels flexing its power over an uncooperative leader?
• Find out why Panama’s new associate membership in Mercosur could change the game for residency and trade opportunities in Latin America.
• Hear my take on Javier Milei’s disastrous endorsement of a crypto coin—what was he thinking?!
• Learn about New Zealand’s struggling investor visa program—why has it failed so badly?
• Unpack Spain’s insane 100% tax on non-EU real estate buyers—are they intentionally pushing expats out?
• Discover Sierra Leone’s intriguing new fast-track citizenship program—could this be a sleeper opportunity?
• Explore why the UAE’s new Golden Visa for content creators might just be a brilliant marketing move.

THE WEALTH, FREEDOM & PASSPORTS CONFERENCE IN PANAMA MARCH 14-15!

Join us in Panama for the inaugural Wealth, Freedom & Passports Conference, our first-ever large conference event, taking place in Panama City, Panama, March 14-15, 2025!

This is your chance to gain invaluable insights, connect with like-minded freedom seekers, and, most importantly, meet with 20+ of the most trusted partners necessary to secure a prosperous life offshore.

Head to ExpatMoney.com/Conference to learn more and secure your spot right away!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

You would have already heard about many of these new items if you had been subscribed to our newsletter. You will receive the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times; sign up now and receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

ARTICLES MENTIONED:

Trump Sends Rubio To Curb China’s Influence In Panama

The Practical Implications of Panama Joining Mercosur

Romania’s Annulled Election: Unpacking The Consequences

RELATED EPISODES

330: Expat News: French Government Collapses, Trump Threatens BRICS With Tariffs

322: Expat News: Panama Keeps Investor Visa Price, Trump to End Double Taxation Of Expats?

310: Expat News: Why The Wealthy Are Leaving The US, Dominica Revokes Passports, A 90% Tax In France

The post 340: Expat News: Trump Sends Rubio To Panama & Javier Milei’s Meme Coin Scandal appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Many of us love exploring off-the-radar countries few people have even heard of, but how many actually invest and build businesses there? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Rafael Millan—better known as Rafa—has been doing for nearly two decades. From Europe to Africa and eventually South America, Rafa’s journey is packed with both invaluable lessons and crazy stories.

In this episode, Rafa shares how his expat journey led him to invest and do business in “wild frontier” nations like Mali and The Gambia. We’ll dive into the obstacles of doing business in Europe today, the vital role of finding the right business partners, and why Rafa considers Paraguay his ultimate investment haven. 

Enjoy!

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH RAFAEL MILLAN

• Find out how Rafa’s bilingual upbringing in Europe prepared him for an international life at an early age. 
• Discover why Paraguay captured Rafa’s business attention and why it checked all the boxes to become his “final destination” for investment. 
• Uncover some of the off-the-radar countries Rafa has been invested in – places you would never even think of, like Mali and the Gambia.
• Learn about the sad fate that befell the once-promising country of Mali after the “Arab Spring” and the fall of Gaddafi in Libya. 
• Tune in as Rafa shares a wild story about how one of his business partners in Africa ended up in a slightly different line of work.
• Listen to hear how Rafa’s experiences in war-torn countries led him to appreciate the peace of mind of doing business in a country like Paraguay.
• Rafa and I discuss the importance of finding the right business partners. If we had to do all this ourselves, we would never get anything done!
• Are Europe’s best years behind it? Hear from Rafa why doing business in Europe has become so difficult. 
• By the end of this conversation, you’ll gain key insights into investing internationally and hear a few entertaining stories!

HOW TO CONTACT RAFAEL MILLAN

Email: expat@greenparana.com

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Keep up to date on the latest news affecting expats, as well as maintain a steady stream of my opinions, travel stories, and more by subscribing to our newsletter. Not only will you receive the EMS Pulse newsletter and the weekly Expat Sunday Times, but sign up now, and you’ll also receive my FREE special report, “Plan B Residencies and Instant Citizenships.”

THE WEALTH, FREEDOM & PASSPORTS CONFERENCE IN PANAMA MARCH 14-15

Join us in Panama for the inaugural Wealth, Freedom & Passports Conference, our first-ever large conference event, taking place in Panama City, Panama, March 14-15, 2025!

This is your chance to gain invaluable insights, connect with like-minded freedom seekers, and, most importantly, connect with 15+ of the most trusted partners necessary to secure a prosperous life offshore.

Head to ExpatMoney.com/Conference to learn more and secure your spot right away!

RELATED EPISODES

326: Paraguay Potential: Investing Offshore For Fun And Adventure

295: OffBeat Escapes: Exploring Contrarian Plan B Locations – Brian Greco

273: Discover Paraguay: An In-Depth Breakdown Of Our Scouting Trip

The post 333: Spanish Lawyer Investing in Africa, Caribbean, & Latin America – Rafael Millan appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Patri Friedman is the General Partner at Pronomos Capital, the first venture fund for charter cities and network states. 

He coded at Google for ten years, has run a small angel fund since 2011, has degrees in math, CS, and business, and has been a leader in the competitive governance space for over 20 years.

Patri has board memberships and advisory positions across the charter city/network state space. He also regularly gives talks, interviews, and holds events around the world.

TODAY’S CONVERSATION WITH PATRI FRIEDMAN

• How can you stack different legal jurisdictions to maximize your freedom? 
• What is the number one investment trend in the world that no one is talking about?
• Which country, at the edge of the world, is truly pushing the envelope in the field of governance, and what can you do to take advantage of the situation?
• How can looking at laws, the same way we look at software code, be the breakthrough that restores liberty to the world?
• Where do modern flag theory and charter cities meet?
• What are all smart, savvy investors betting on in the future?
• Where are innovators looking to next in the world, and what can you do to get involved?

HOW TO REACH PATRI FRIEDMAN

Pronomos Capital

Pronomos Capital – LinkedIn

RELATED EPISODES 

202: What Is A Startup City? – Francisco Litvay

192: Building Free Private Cities Around The World – Peter Young

210: How To Use Special Economic Zones – Thibault Serlet

CONCLUSION

What an amazing conversation I had with Patri Friedman today. I learned a ton of really fascinating things about law and governance and how to build a better city or country that suits the needs of those who want to live there. I think this is such a great episode to listen to. Don’t miss this one.

The post 214: Patri Friedman’s Legal Strategies for Ultimate Freedom appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Michael Wedaa has travelled to more than 100 countries on six continents. His love of travel started in his youth when he visited many of the great national parks in the U.S. He then took his first major international trips to Europe, South America, and Asia in 2011. From there, he caught the travel bug and began taking four international trips per year. In 2020, he became the host of a travel TV show called The Layover Experience.  

HERE IS A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE…

• Imagine visiting 100 countries! What does that take to accomplish? Michael shares with us what he’s done in his life over the last 10 years to make this happen in his life…and how you can too!
• What does it take for the love of travel to rule your life! I chat with Michael about how travel changed my life and the important lessons I’ve learned from the people I’ve met along the way.
• I bet you’re thinking…it’s so easy to go to London, Paris and Rome…but what about Iran, Egypt or Tanzania? Listen to how Michael visited those countries and his wild experiences.
• Michael and I share some great stories about the countries we’ve visited that people have been really afraid to travel to. 
• Have you imagined yourself as a writer? You’ve got some amazing plans and yet don’t know what the next steps are. Here Michael tells us how he started and finished writing his first book and I think you’ll really like this if you’re a budding author.
• I loved chatting with Michael about countries we still don’t know how to spell, or even pronounce, yet can’t wait to visit. Places most people are too scared to go to. Here are some really awesome tips!
• Michael shares some hilarious stories of his travels and the trouble you can get into when things happen that are out of your control. 
• Michaels YouTube Show is called ‘Layover Guru’. In today’s episode, Michael and I talk about how you can utilize your time on a layover of let’s say 6 – 24 hours. Are you like most people and just sit in the airport? Ya, I get that. But listen to this…Michael uses that time to see a new city or a new country that he may never get a chance to visit again. He shares his tips and tricks for everyone to enjoy.
• Is Covid still scaring you? Are you waiting for things to go back to normal? Michael talks about all of the travelling he’s done in the past 2 years and how you can make it a reality.

PODCAST EPISODES YOU WILL ENJOY

165: Digital Nomad Life In The Middle East, Balkans, and the Caucasus During The Pandemic – Alex Bales

133: How to Find Cheap Flights To See The World On A Budget – Jen Ruiz

128: Travelling To Every Country In The World – Salvatore Lavallo

HOW TO REACH 

International Travel Secrets

CONCLUSION:

I’ve never been the sort of guy that loved sitting in an airport, but I always just did it, no matter how long the wait was. I try to book the least amount of time between flights I can, but if I had much of a wait, I would sit in the business class lounge and work. 

But I have to say, this conversation with Michael Wedaa has really changed my mind. I think maybe using his tips and tricks for my next flight will greatly enhance my experience!  

Make sure you buy his book. It contains an absolute ton of information for both novice and seasoned travellers!

I’m excited to see what trouble I can get into in a new city or country!

The post 171: Layover Secrets – How To Get The Most Out Of Every Minute You’ve Got – Michael Wedaa appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.

Gret Glyer is the founder of DonorSee, a support network for the world’s poorest. Their Mission is to become the world’s fastest-growing charity platform and usher in a new age of global charity by raising the industry’s standards for transparency, immediacy, and innovation.

WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW:

• Exactly how to make a difference in the life of an infant child, a widow or an orphaned child….and how to help them possibly provide for themselves for a lifetime!
• Who really benefits from donating as little as $10 a month to people from the poorest country on the planet?
• Why it’s essentially impossible for people from developing countries like Malawi to get themselves out of poverty with the system we have without some help from outside sources
• How your donation can provide simple necessities like formula and food for a child for an entire year.
• A common myth about why people from Africa are some of the poorest countries in the world… This is an important concept to understand when you reach into your pocket to help and why it’s so important to help.
• How to guarantee your donation goes directly to the project that you have chosen.
• What happens after you donate? Listen in as Gret explains what the protocol is and how your money will be spent.
• This is tax-deductible — I would much rather see my subscribers voluntarily giving money to help families in need instead of it being wasted on taxes.

PODCAST EPISODES YOU WILL ENJOY

145: Building A Nonprofit In The Slums Of Uganda – Jennings Wright

076: Chasing Black Unicorns – Tech Startups & Corruption – Marek Zmyslowski

031: How You Can Make A Difference In Small Island Nations With Renewable Energy And Sustainable Innovation – James Ellsmoor

CONCLUSION:

What a heart-wrenching conversation with Gret Glyer. Listening to his stories of living in the poorest country in the world for three years led to the founding of DonorSee.

Gret believes relationships are the heartbeat of effective charity. His platform enables donors to donate directly to people in need and see the impact of their gifts with a video update on every donation.

I would like to encourage you to donate; even just a small amount will make a big impact. You’ll understand my urgency once you’ve listened to Gret’s story of living overseas and how important DonorSee is.

The post 153: Creating A Support Network For The Worlds Poorest – Gret Glyer appeared first on The Expat Money Show - With Mikkel Thorup.