The last couple of days, I’ve published parts 1 & 2 of my interview with newsletter subscriber Khe Hy.
Khe was 31 when he became one of Blackrock's youngest ever MDs. A couple of years later, Khe realised he was climbing a ladder propped up against the wrong wall and quit his high-flying Wall Street career to forge his own
path.
Khe's now known as the Oprah for Millennials.
If you’re interested in topics like success, status and the hustle & grind, I think you’ll dig what Khe has to say.
Here’s the third and final part of the interview:
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Tom: I read another interview of yours where you said “I don’t need more money, I need more
peace.” What are the biggest threats to your peace today?
Khe: A lot of the things I mentioned earlier, like wanting my net worth to go up, even though I know it shouldn’t matter. There are moments where my net worth feels tied to my self-worth. I’m competitive. I want to feel like I’m doing well.
There’s a game to it, and I want to win.
There’s the hair and just being at peace with things I can’t control. Difficult relationships. Loss. I’ve lost five people very close to me. Grief, and knowing there’s more loss to come.
Even stuff with my daughters. I have two girls entering preteen years and it’s not the cute little baby stuff anymore. I know there’ll be bumps in the road.
I have practices. I know myself. I’m clear on my values and how I want to show up. But that doesn’t mean those
things aren’t threats to my peace.
Tom: You built your newsletter RadReads slowly, almost by accident. What’s your take on the idea that purpose finds you rather than the other way around?
Khe: I believe purpose is
emergent.
There’s an author, Jordan Grumet, who talks about “little-p purpose” and “big-P Purpose.” People think big-P is something like eradicating polio or building the next unicorn. But I think it’s more about little-p purpose. It’s emergent.
That’s why I follow aliveness.
Right now, I’m really interested in AI. It’s a cool problem. There are interesting opportunities. People need to understand how to use it. I think it can help people achieve freedom and aliveness, whether through entrepreneurship, creativity, brainstorming, or just having a collaborative thinking
partner.
I’m following it because it feels alive. Sometimes the switch flips and I think, “Oh, I’m gonna make a lot of money doing this.” Then I remind myself: why? Just to watch a number go up? Who cares? You’re already the dad you want to be. You’re healthy. You’re a loving husband. You’re serving your mission.
I also think when people try too hard to find purpose, it’s like telling yourself “I have to take a nap”. You put so much pressure on it that you end up obscuring it.
Tom: What role does work play in your life today?
Khe: I still do a decent amount of it. I think of work as time in front of a computer that’s not leisurely. But it feels like play.
I probably work four to six hours a day. I have very clear constraints.
I won’t work with assholes. I won’t be subject to someone else’s calendar. I won’t work on things that don’t align with my mission which is to help people deepen their introspection and self-awareness.
There’s a certain amount of money I want to make. Not huge, not little. That’s
what I’m striving for.
Tom: Where can readers go to find you?
Khe: Check out my podcast The Examined Life and my weekly newsletter RadReads at https://newsletter.radreads.co
You can connect with me on socials here too:
https://twitter.com/khemaridh
http://instagram.com/radreadsco
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khehy/
https://khemaridh.substack.com/
***
That brings us to the end of the interview.
Thank
you, Khe, for sharing your hard won wisdom.
Tomorrow, something completely different.