MariBank CFO Kevan Chow: How Small Luxuries Fuel Financial Success
MariBank’s Group CFO Kevan Chow reveals how spending on small pleasures like Dragon Ball posters and Nike Jordan sneakers helps maintain motivation while pursuing long-term financial goals. The 43-year-old banking executive balances enjoying life’s little luxuries with disciplined investing for a worry-free retirement.
Key Takeaways
- Balanced investment approach combining funds, stocks, bonds and cryptocurrency
- Learned from early crypto mistake to focus on fundamentals over hype
- Family financial history shaped conservative yet calculated risk-taking
- Small, regular spending on personal interests maintains financial motivation
From Childhood Savings to Banking Leadership
Mr Chow’s financial habits began in childhood when he saved for stickers, playing cards, and McDonald’s treats. Today, as Group CFO of MariBank, Sea’s digital banking subsidiary, he maintains that spending on “the little things that make me happy is important” while ensuring his future self is taken care of.
His collection includes Dragon Ball posters and Nike Jordan sneakers, reflecting his basketball passion. After graduating from NUS Business Administration, he spent over a decade at Citi and Standard Chartered before joining Sea in 2021.
Investment Philosophy: Calculated Risks with Stability Focus
Q: What do you invest in and why?
“I am a balanced investor with a portfolio of funds, stocks, bonds and some cryptocurrency. The key things I look for are liquidity, stability and flexibility. I do take calculated risks with higher-risk assets like structured products.”
Family Financial Lessons
Q: How did your upbringing shape your financial outlook?
Mr Chow’s grandmother lost substantial property wealth through poor decisions, which motivated his father to pursue career growth and stability. His risk-taking bank teller father and risk-averse police officer mother created a balanced approach: “I always save for a rainy day, but I know that it is important to take calculated risks from time to time.”
Biggest Financial Lessons
Most valuable asset: “My stock portfolio. I view property as less of an investment than a place to live.”
Biggest mistake: Investing in an unknown cryptocurrency during COVID-19 hype that initially gained 2,000% but later crashed. “This was the last time that I invested in something that I was not familiar with.”
Best decision: “Staying invested and not having extreme reactions during bull or bear markets. Staying the course resulted in some of the best decisions I have made.”
Personal Life and Future Plans
Mr Chow currently lives with his parents in a Loyang terraced house while awaiting his new apartment completion in 2027. He drives a Nissan Infiniti QX30, prioritizing value over luxury. His perfect day involves unplanned time with his wife and their seven-year-old samoyed.
If he received a windfall, he’d invest most but also fund animal welfare initiatives, having plans to start a shelter. With only $100, he’d focus on rebuilding income streams quickly.
