Nairobi County Woman Representative Esther Passaris has revealed that she made her first million dollars at age 24, while sharing the secret behind her youthful look at 62.
She made the comments during an impromptu street interview with Elijah, creator of the online platform Young Millionaire Talks.
Impromptu Street Interview
During the street interaction, Elijah stopped the lawmaker to ask about her financial journey and age. Passaris paused briefly before confirming her first major financial milestone.
"How old were you when you became a millionaire?” the creator asked.
“My first million dollars. Now, my first million dollars, I'm trying to think, you know, I'm 62. So, I'm trying to think about my age. I think 24,” she responded.
Earning the First Million in Sales
Passaris established her business career long before entering elective politics.
She founded Sharper Images Limited in 1991 and later launched Adopt-A-Light Ltd in 2002, pioneering street lighting infrastructure across Nairobi.
She credited her early financial success to sales and commission work.
"Production. I did sales. I was earning commissions. And because I was earning commissions and I wanted to tour the world, I could sell ice to the ski and oil to the elves," Passaris said.
For young women entering commerce, she stressed the value of integrity.
"If you don't believe in a product, you can't sell it. And then, you know, you have to be honest. You have to give people value for whatever it is they're buying," she added.
Secret to Youthful Looks at 62
During the encounter, Elijah noted her youthful appearance and asked for her secret at 62. Passaris attributed her looks directly to her spiritual faith.
"Loving God. Yes. I mean just loving God and understanding that there's a superior being that created us and is worthy of respect," she explained.
She noted that faith drives achievement in daily life.
"Everything is God-driven, God-given, God appreciated. And I think we're wired to have faith. Have faith that you can do something. You can be someone. You can achieve something," Passaris said.
Political Integrity and Networking
Turning to public leadership, Passaris warned young leaders against entering politics for money.
"Don't go into politics cuz you want to make money. Go into politics cuz you want to serve."
"First of all, you've got to identify the community that you want to serve and what you have to offer," she stated.
She concluded with advice on strategic networking.
"You're five people away from anyone you want to meet in this world. Five people away. So, the question is to identify who are these five people that will get you there," Passaris said.
