The saying you don’t need a silver fork to eat good fork rings truer to JJ Titus, a Meru businessman who allegedly went through multiple hardships before accumulating his multimillion wealth.
The businessman came into the limelight in 2022 after a video of him surprising his wife with a Jeep Wrangler went viral on social media, leaving netizens questioning his source of wealth.
In a past interview with 2mbili, the father of three revealed he built his wealth from scratch. Titus narrated how he started as a watchman earning a monthly salary of Sh8,000 while living in a shared room in Mukuru kwa Njenga slums.
”Many people think that I woke up to riches. If there is someone who has come from zero is me and am proud of myself. If I tell you I was once a watchman you won’t believe it,’’ Recalled Titus.
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”I was being paid Sh8,000 and after deductions, I would remain with around Sh4,500. I was living in Mukuru Kwa Njenga with five people in a single room as I couldn’t afford rent,’’ he added.
He later started doing business which lifted him from a single-room to a two-bedroom house in Roasters along Thika Road.
The outbreak of Covid 19 in 2020 however took a toll on all his businesses forcing him to shut down. The pandemic was however a blessing in disguise for Titus as it opened his eyes to more opportunities.
”When the pandemic hit in 2020 there was restriction of movement and the best thing one could do was to watch a movie. I decided not to watch a movie but instead opened my laptop where I met a European who wanted to start an institution and was looking for an IT technician.’’
”I learned how to create software and delivered to him and I received good pay. That’s how I started selling software even though am not an IT developer,” he explained.
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According to him, the least amount he earned from the software business is Sh5 million. Titus says income from this business helped him purchase his car which has attracted huge admiration. He cruises in a Lexus LX570 valued at Sh24 million.
“I bought this car straight from the manufacturer in Japan as I was having a wedding and did not want to hire a vehicle. It is a liability and you need to plan yourself before buying this vehicle,” he said.
The car, whose annual insurance is Sh980,000 has a custom number plate that cost the businessman Sh1 million. In addition, he disclosed that fuelling the vehicle costs upwards of KSh 15,000 and lasts for a week.
The businessman and his wife reportedly have an expensive car collection worth over KSh 40 million. The vehicles include a BMW X3, Toyota Prado, and a Jeep, as well as commercial vehicles valued at over Sh10 million.
Other businesses allegedly owned by Titus include a company that manufactures cabro blocks. He serves as the Chief executive officer of Lid Group of Companies.
