The Mounts Executives

24/01/2026

😊 I'm blown away by Steve Jobs' estate planning strategy. When he died on October 5, 2011, his net worth was $7 billion, and the U.S. government was expecting a massive estate tax payment of $2.45 billion. But Jobs had been planning for this moment for years.

Back in 2009, he and his wife Laurene transferred three California properties into two separate trusts, and then funneled his biggest assets - 38.5 million Apple shares, 138 million Disney shares, and three properties - into the Steven P. Jobs Trust. This move allowed him to exploit the unlimited marital deduction, a U.S. tax law that lets you transfer unlimited assets to a surviving spouse without immediate estate tax.

As a result, when Jobs died, his simple "pourover" will directed all remaining assets into the private trust, avoiding public probate, court battles, and tax bills. The IRS collected exactly $0, and Laurene became one of the world's wealthiest women overnight, controlling over $10 billion in assets.

But here's the clever part: because the assets passed through the trust at death, they received a "stepped-up basis" to fair market value, erasing decades of capital gains tax. Laurene also used Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) to transfer $500 million tax-free to their children, dodging another $200 million in gift and estate taxes.

Today, Laurene's net worth is around $11.9 billion, and the government's anticipated $2.45 billion windfall is still $0. Jobs' estate plan was a revolutionary product in itself, showcasing his genius for innovation and tax strategy 😊.

07/10/2025

As I reflect on the new government's plan in Malawi, I understand their intention to remove the MK5000 and MK2000 notes from circulation. According to recent reports, this move aims to restore public confidence, fight corruption, and rebuild the country's economy. The government hopes to achieve several goals, including cleaning up the financial system, reducing corruption and tax evasion, increasing financial transparency, and promoting digital transactions ¹.

From my perspective, the decision to withdraw these high-value notes seems like a strategic move to bring more money into the formal banking system. By doing so, the government can monitor cash movements, identify suspicious transactions, and strengthen financial transparency. This, in turn, may encourage more Malawians to use formal banking services, mobile money, and other digital payment systems. The expected long-term benefits are significant, including strengthening the Malawi Kwacha, controlling inflation, and deepening financial inclusion.

However, I've come across some conflicting information regarding the government's plan. Some sources suggest a potential U-turn on the decision to remove or introduce the MK5000 note. In fact, the Reserve Bank of Malawi has issued a new 5000 Kwacha banknote, featuring advanced security features like KINEGRAM DYNAMIC technology. This move seems to contradict the initial plan to remove the note from circulation ¹ ².

Given the confusion, I'd like to see more clarity on the government's plan. If implemented correctly, the removal of high-value notes could lead to a more modern and stable financial system. Citizens would need to exchange their old notes at banks within a specified period, which could help authorities track suspicious transactions. Ultimately, the goal is to promote financial integrity, stability, and modernization in Malawi ².

17/08/2025

14/08/2025

🥰😍

10/08/2025

If all your best staff are quitting, the problem isn’t the staff’s work ethic, it’s the work environment they’re leaving✓

🎉💯

29/07/2025

We all believe in job security until reality slaps us in the face. 🥲

Here's a truth nobody really tells you:

Job security is dead. And clinging to it is killing your career.

→ 80,103 tech workers laid off across 163 companies (so far in 2025)
→ That's just from one tracker (Layoffs [dot] fyi) - others report up to 97,411 cuts
→ Microsoft, Intel, Meta leading the charge with thousands more

A lot of people think dedication and reliability are their career insurance.

They really aren't.

Reality is that no company in tech can promise you job security.
Thrivers aren't clinging to job security. They built career security instead.

The Two Mindsets:

🚨 Job Security (The Death Trap):
→ Clings to current position at all costs
→ Allergic to risk and change
→ Depends on external forces
→ Learns just enough to survive
→ Result: Expendable

⚡ Career Security (The Superpower):
→ Builds skills valuable anywhere
→ Embraces calculated risks
→ Controls your professional destiny
→ Constantly learns and adapts
→ Result: Indispensable

The Game-Changer Strategy:

Build a "go to hell" fund.

A while ago Andrew interviewed Rahul Subramaniam, a CEO of multiple companies and a true remote leader and he said: “Make sure that you have at least 1 year of your liabilities or lifestyle expenses covered so that you never feel compelled to do something because you have to save your job. You can say ‘go to hell’ to your employer if you need to.” (I'll drop the link to the video in the comments)

When you're not desperate?
→ You make better decisions
→ You take smarter risks
→ You negotiate from strength, not fear

The truth is...

Every skill you don't learn = more vulnerable.
Every risk you don't take = less valuable.
Every opportunity you skip = smaller future.

Tech rewards adaptability, innovation, risk-taking.
Job security thinking is the opposite of all three.

The risk is not losing your job. It's never learning to be valuable enough that losing any one job doesn't matter.

Wh

15/07/2025

You can care about your job and still leave on time everyday, take all your breaks and set realistic expectation✓

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️

19/06/2025

LECTURERS WILL NEVER TELL YOU THIS IN THE UNIVERSITY
🤣🤣🤣🤣

If you are invited for a job interview, at the entrance of the gate or within the Organization's premises:

Avoid or do the following:

1. Politely greet everybody. I have seen MDs and Managers disguise and stand at the gate to observe interviewees.

2. Do not go inside and start charging your phone or begin to look for where to charge your phone.

3. Do not go inside and begin to chat with your phone or make unnecessary calls. Put the phone inside your bag. They could be monitoring you through the camera.

4. Avoid too much talk with fellow interviewees. Don't go there and begin to argue about the government of the day, escalated food prices,s and even lack of employment opportunities. Just be calm and positive.

5. Don't start praying and speaking in tongues to demonstrate your religiosity and closeness to God. Pray at home before going.

6. If they offer you Tea or food, Please reject it politely and thank them. You can take it after the interview. If you take that Tea or food, you are out.

7. Don't chew gum, biscuit or anything. Go with a book and read it.

8. Never ever criticize your previous employer.

9. If you see somebody you know in the Organization, either as a staff or a fellow interviewee, greet him officially. Avoid creating an impression that you know him.

10. Do not appear too Poor, helpless, or inferior before the interviewer. Forget about Nigeria's problems, your personal and family problems. Focus on the job.

11. After the interview, put up a smiling face, thank the,m and leave.

In most cases, interviewers assess and score interviewees by the factors above and not necessarily by the answers they provide on paper. They'll train you eventually to do the job if they employ you..

17/02/2024

https://www.facebook.com/thokozani.phiri.311

11/10/2023

Bill Gates' net worth currently stands at a staggering $124 billion. This immense wealth secures his position as the fifth-richest man in the world.