Issue 33 | The Property Development Review

The Interview

THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

SCAN OR CLICK TO WATCH TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL

51 MINUTES

IAN MALOUF

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN

that would enable him to kickstart his journey in waste management. He would go around and knock on prospective clients’ doors, offering to take their rubbish away. It quickly became a profitable venture. “Back in those days, I might have made $100 by the end of the day, and it was a lot of money... for $10, you could go out and have plenty of beers and a pack of cigarettes... To go out and do something, spend $10 and end up with $90; I cannot tell you how much money that was back then.” But with the success that this new entrepreneurial venture was giving him, Malouf would have to give up his law degree. “Much to my mum’s dismay or dislike, I chose the truck.” It’s safe to say that Malouf doesn’t regret his decision.

After graduating high school at Sydney’s prestigious St Joseph’s

College in 1983, a young Ian Malouf found himself enrolled in a law degree, which he studied…for six weeks. “In hindsight, [it was] definitely the right course. Maybe not to practice, but to have that in your business life, it’s definitely a good course to have.” After six weeks of classes, Malouf had come to a crossroads. “I was able to save up a little bit of money... and then I bought a little truck. Law started to kick in at the same time. Working all day and studying all night was not going to work. So I had to choose one.” That “little truck” Malouf refers to was his first investment; a truck

June / July 2022 – 11

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