Cover Globe-trotting traveller Yusuf Hashim flexing his awe-inspiring photography skills in Tuscany
Globe-trotting traveller Yusuf Hashim flexing his awe-inspiring photography skills in Tuscany
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How a Malaysian spent his children’s inheritance to retire at 53 and become a globe-trotting explorer who takes stunning transcontinental photography
What if you could retire a decade earlier than most and pursue any passion that called to you? If given the opportunity to leave behind the corporate world and become a true explorer, would you take it without hesitation?
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For Yusuf Hashim, this dream of unbridled adventure has been the driving force behind an incredible life journey that began during the height of his 30-year career in oil and gas.
The year was 1999 when Yusuf, then the retail marketing director for Shell Malaysia, heeded the siren’s call of wanderlust. “It wasn’t a rash or impulsive decision,” Yusuf revealed to Tatler when discussing his resignation from Shell in 1999 at the age of 53.
Above An image from Yusuf taken while sailing in the Donna Wood in Greenland
An image from Yusuf taken while sailing in the Donna Wood in Greenland
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With parental responsibilities fulfilled and finances carefully planned, he was ready to check items off his bucket list and travel around the globe before, as he said, “my body breaks down” and “life passes me by.” Over the next 24 years since his retirement, he would go on to drive across 120 countries in a 4x4 truck, sail to Antarctica and the Arctic dozens of times, and capture over three million photographs of the earth’s farthest-flung vistas.
His adventures birthed 10 self-published coffee table books, inspiring awestruck readers who live vicariously through his transcontinental exploits. This is an audacious personal odyssey bankrolled by an even more audacious concept—to steadily deplete the very inheritance his four children could have expected.
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Yusuf explains in a TEDxPetalingStreet talk he gave on October 10, 2023, that “Your money is not your money until you spend it.” He reminded the wealthy not to die with riches unspent on enjoying life. He makes a strong case in his talk, sharing that the average lifespan for a Malaysian is 76 years old and people, on average, spend 42 years of their life working until they retire at 65, by which time their health is on the decline. From his TED Talk, he says, “Because employees get a salary every month, they sometimes neglect to save money to accumulate capital, so that they can have a good retirement.
“On the other hand, if you are self-employed—people like doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and billionaires work until they die because nobody is there to tell them not to work. They carry on making more and more money that they can never ever spend. What kind of life is that? I’d like to tell those people that your money is not your money until you spend it.”
Above Aurora borealis in Greenland, shot by Yusuf from the deck of the Donna Wood sailboat
Aurora borealis in Greenland, shot by Yusuf from the deck of the Donna Wood sailboat
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However, traversing the corners of the world and going on endless globe-trotting adventures come at a high cost. Yusuf believes that money is easy to make, if one simply focuses on doing so.
From his TED Talk, he shares specific examples, but in general, his advice is, “...during the work phase of your life, you should focus on trying to create an investment portfolio that can yield a passive income flow of at least 75 per cent; 100 per cent [is] better. Once you get 100 per cent, you can stop work and not carry on working, making more and more money that you can never ever spend. And the second thing is, once you’ve made your money, don’t ever be reluctant to spend your children’s inheritance,” reminding people that, “Now your money is not your money until you spend it.”
If you want a jet-setting adventurous life like Yusuf’s, he tells Tatler that: “You will need a retirement investment portfolio of at least RM10 million, on the basis it costs about RM100,000 per person for a typical trip to Antarctica.”
Above Yusuf shooting penguins in Antarctica
Yusuf shooting penguins in Antarctica
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Starting the second life
The seeds of Yusuf’s insuppressible wanderlust were planted in the 1960s during his school days at the Royal Military College, where jungle trekking and outdoor expeditions were de rigueur. Photography, too, was a pursuit that grew in passion over the decades. “Photography has always been a passion of mine since my school days,” he recalls.
When digital photography emerged in the early 1990s, he quickly mastered digital post-processing through intense self-learning, leading to his role as a specialist writer for Chip Foto Video magazine, a consultant and lecturer at Malaysia’s Open University, and the co-founder of the 100,000-member online photography community, PhotoMalaysia.com.
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It was that zest for new frontiers which prompted his pivotal life juncture in 1999. With his offspring’s upbringing behind him and a solid nest egg, Yusuf opted to “listen to his heart” and forsake his corporate career to become “an unpaid photographer and spare truck driver” for WorldExplorer.net, a company specialising in cross-continental overland expeditions.
Above An image shot by Yusuf in the Antarctica
An image shot by Yusuf in the Antarctica
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His first camping trip as a retiree was joining an overland expedition across China, where the horrible conditions convinced him to become a support truck driver instead of riding his motorcycle. “I tagged along on my 1,100cc motorbike... it rained incessantly, and I was wet, miserable and cold. I noticed my friends in their four-by-four cars were amazingly comfortable and relaxed,” Yusuf recalled. “So at one of the refuelling stops, I offered to exchange places with one of the four-by-four drivers.”
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This launched a decade of being the “spare driver” for WorldExplorer.net. Yusuf would go on to drive across every continent in a convoy with fellow adventure seekers. His wanderlust extended to the seas as well, sailing territories like Scoresby Sound in Greenland and circumnavigating the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
Above A photo taken as Yusuf Hashim was driving across the Sahara Desert from Khartoum to Casablanca, in 2004
A photo taken as Yusuf Hashim was driving across the Sahara Desert from Khartoum to Casablanca, in 2004
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The wildest destinations
Looking back on his adventures, Yusuf struggles to name just three bucket list destinations for travellers, saying, “Every place that I have been to is totally unique. For me, each place has its own charms, unique 152 attractions, and special memories.” Eventually, he highlights Antarctica, the Arctic, and Patagonia for their stunning, pristine wilderness. “Antarctica is excruciatingly beautiful,” Yusuf gushed. He also favours the breathtaking mountain scenery of the Himalayas and the tribal cultures of Africa, home to the “Big Five” (the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo) game animals.
Some of Yusuf’s most daring feats included trekking in 52°C heat to the crater of Africa’s most active volcano, Mt Erta Ale, four-wheel driving on Bolivia’s infamous “Death Road”, and traversing China’s Himalayas. He has the scars and experiences of a true adventurer, like celebrating his 54th wedding anniversary on pack ice in Antarctica in 2023.
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With his extensive travels and sharp eye behind the camera lens, he has captured unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. Yusuf’s unique talent for transforming his love for travel into stunning images has elevated photography from a mere hobby to a highly praised pursuit. His distinct viewpoint merges landscapes and cultures, blurring the lines between different environments.
Above Mt Erta Ale, Africa’s most active volcano
Mt Erta Ale, Africa’s most active volcano
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A wandering life
Now in his late 70s, Yusuf hasn’t let age stop him from seeking new challenges and indelible travel memories. At 70, he obtained certification to fly paramotors, becoming one of Malaysia’s oldest paramotor pilots. His children may have missed out on a larger inheritance, but they have gained a father with incredible experiences under his belt.
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In 2019, Yusuf brought his eldest son and youngest daughter to Antarctica on a special “just us three” father-children adventure. When all is said and done, Yusuf is determined to spend the rest of his days exploring. “At the rate I am depleting resources, I do not think I can afford to live beyond 10 more years. But I have a plan,” says the now 77-year-old with a candour that can only come from one who has raged against the inertia of a conventional life. “When our assets are gone, I’ll sell the house, then move between my kids’ homes to squander what’s left.
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Images: Yusuf Hashim
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Lynette loves travelling and dancing to Latin music almost as much as she enjoys period films and pastry desserts. She is constantly in search of the perfect nude lipstick and finds her best ideas through walks in nature.
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As the Editor-in-Chief of Tatler Malaysia, Lynette leads the content teams for print, digital and social media platforms of the brand. She has over 20 years experience in media, having been editorial director and editor-in-chief for lifestyle titles such as Cleo, ELLE, Esquire, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health.
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