Tim Booker, a 42-year-old American businessman, left his successful life in Washington D.C. for Nairobi after a transformative visit to Kenya. He cites the city's relaxing atmosphere, entrepreneurial spirit, and affordability as key factors in his decision. The move, initially prompted by family, has allowed him to balance business and personal fulfillment.
Tim Booker, a 42-year-old multi-millionaire from Washington D.C., relocated to Nairobi following a visit to Kenya last year after the COVID-19 pandemic. The trip, urged by his cousin who had spent her career working with disadvantaged communities, began as a short stay but extended to five weeks and became permanent.
"She spent her career with disadvantaged people. She has been telling me for years to come and give back. After COVID, last year, I came to participate and see Kenya, and that experience changed my life," Booker said in an interview with Webnation. While in Machakos County searching for an NGO, he felt a strong calling that this was the place for him.
Now settled in a four-bedroom mansion in Lavington's upscale neighborhood, Booker pays Ksh450,000 monthly, a package that includes security, a housekeeper, and utilities. He contrasts this with the high rents for small apartments in the U.S., noting that his online-based businesses make the transition seamless.
Booker describes Nairobi as more peaceful and relaxing than Washington. "My life here in Nairobi is much different. First of all, it is more relaxing. The energy level is higher, but it doesn't have the stress. So I'm able to think a lot clearer, so that is a huge difference," he explained. In the U.S., constant tasks overwhelmed him, preventing sleep, whereas in Nairobi, he wakes with calm and stillness.
The communal lifestyle in Nairobi, where people check on each other, has restored his sense of humanity, unlike the programmed existence he observed in America. Though money played a role in the business sense, Booker emphasizes it was not the primary driver. He was impressed by the intelligence of Kenyans and the ease of English as the language.
His first impression of Nairobi was of diverse, uplifting people with bright entrepreneurial minds, dubbing it 'the jewel of Africa' for blending personal fulfillment and investment opportunities. Challenges include a seven-hour time difference with the U.S., but it allows mornings for social activities before evening client calls from 5 p.m.