New Straits Times
"Young, Internet Savvy and Rich"

With his khaki pants and black sweater, Irfan Khairi looks like any other young man on the street. He’s boyish and hardly looks like the millionaire that he is. Irfan’s success story is something many of us dream of but few attain.

He’s boyish and hardly looks like the millionaire that he is. Irfan’s success story is something many of us dream of but few attain. He set up an online business when he was 22 and reaped his first million three years later. Now he’s 29 and probably is still the youngest self-made millionaire in Malaysia.

If people are amazed at his achievement, Irfan hardly think so. In fact, the foundation of his success was laid when he turned 18.

“My goal was to make my first million when I am 30. So I read motivation books and attended seminars and talks. Whatever I achieved now is the result of hard work.”

Irfan graduated in multimedia design from Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom. While working in a multimedia company, he decided to set up a part-time online business designing book covers, posters and banners. A year later, he decided to pursue it full time from home.

“Initially, there was no money to be made. I had only three customers that first year. But business soon grew. Now I have about 40 customers a month. There are no limits or boundaries to online business. You just have to understand the business and know how to market it. Most of my clients are from abroad and that is where the money is.”

In 2005, he set up his company, Irfan Khairi Sdn Bhd, specializing in Internet business training. Irfan was awarded the Young Achievers Innovation Award this year. He has also written a book, Secrets of Internet Millionaires Revealed, published early this year. His second book, Millionaires Notes, will be released soon, probably within the next two months.

Irfan’s seminars on How to Start an Internet Business are conducted in both Bahasa Malaysia and English. He hopes that through his seminars and talks, more Malaysians will start their own online business.

“If one parent can stay home with the family and take care of the children as a result of starting an online business, that is good enough for me,” says the father of three children.

“Starting and Internet business is something that unemployed graduates should look into. It is simple and requires minimal model. I started my business with RM500”.

So what did he do with his first million?

“I bought a house and a car. I don’t believe in spending money on unnecessary things. For me being wealthy is not how much one makes a month but how much one saves.

And how much is he worth now? Irfan not telling but you can be sure he is certainly on the list of young Malaysian millionaires.