Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Jim Rogers reflects on Singapore and moving to Asia

I am keen on Singapore. I moved here because I had been lecturing for many years that everybody should teach their children Mandarin because it would be the most important language in the 21st century, eventually. 

And then suddenly I had a child and I said, 'What do I do now?' We had a Chinese governess, and it became clear it wouldn't work long-term. There comes a time when every 9-year-old refuses to speak the language because their friends say it's not cool. So I realized we had to move to a Chinese-speaking city where our daughter wouldn't have any choice but to speak Mandarin.

We looked at all the Chinese cities. They were too polluted. Singapore seemed perfect. They speak both Mandarin and English. Everything works. There's fantastic healthcare and education. My kids like it here very much. My wife, Paige, and I both feel it's a great place to live. It's certainly an easy place to live compared to New York, which I loved and still do, even though every time I go, I see it deteriorating. As for complaints about Singapore, they're minimal. It's not as bicycle friendly as I would like. And to my amazement, when I travel, my Singapore mobile phone gives me trouble. Even AT&T phones don't give me problems when I travel.


Jim Rogers is a smart investor who co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros in 1973. By 1983 the fund gained more than 4000 percent.