Photo: Endowus
Cover Photo: Endowus

Tatler speaks to Gregory Van on how he went from making investment losses to being the founding partner of Endowus, Singapore’s first and only Central Provident Fund (CPF) digital advisor

How I’m Making It is a weekly series in which Tatler speaks to influential individuals about their unique journeys and what keeps them going.


Gregory Van was only 17 when his uncle opened his first stock brokerage account for him. This was in 2007, and it was a little thing for him to try his hand at, but little did his uncle know that this simple account would get Van hooked on investing and that it would lead to him becoming the founding partner and chief executive officer of Endowus, Singapore’s first and only Central Provident Fund (CPF) digital advisor.

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When Van first started investing, he made a series of bold investment moves and ended up with a 95 per cent loss when the Global Financial Crisis hit and he was all-in on two solar stocks. Disappointed, he began reading up about investing and started learning about the trade.

“I realised that it is not a game at all. Winning is all about strategy and making the right choices. It is about being holistic, diversified and evidence-based with the lowest cost possible. I invest towards my goals and maximise my probability of reaching those goals. I don’t care about short-term returns because it is just noise and behaviourally will make me lose sight of the bigger picture and how markets work,” he explained.

Van, ever the realist, was eager to try again but this time he decided to do so on a larger scale. He joined UBS and began doing investment work with their Private Funds Group where he learnt how to invest more holistically and at a more professional level. He stayed there for almost four years and learnt as much as he possibly could about investment banking. 

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Van then decided to leave and he moved on to take up a senior manager role at Grab for about a year where he was the business development and partnerships lead for payments and technology. However, he was just not satisfied with how he saw the current financial and tech landscape in Singapore.

Knowing he had to do something about it, Van left Grab. Taking his experience in finance and his expertise in tech, he decided to start Endowus in 2017, a digital advisor that individuals can use for all their CPF, cash and Supplementary Retirement Scheme needs.

“I was not satisfied with the investment products that were put before me as I tried to manage my own portfolio. The non-transparent charges pegged to low-quality products, the hoops you jump through to start an account, and the high costs that people were made to accept as the norm. There are evidence-based ways to invest towards a better life. I wanted to start Endowus simply because it could unlock a better wealth experience for me and our clients,” he says candidly.

Endowus now helps their clients to invest effortlessly and to make the best choices possible for their individual needs.

Of course, running Endowus while balancing family life is no easy feat. In fact, keep reading to find out how Van manages to get it all done from 9 to 5 (and beyond).

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What is a typical morning like for you?

My routine in the morning is usually to hunt for my kids and catch them for a quick bit of play time before I dive into breakfast which is something I need to get me functioning at my best for the day. I usually get sourdough bread from Micro Bakery for breakfast with two sunny side up eggs, microgreens, olive oil and salt.

What does a standard workday look like for you?

My days are usually pretty packed. I usually have a lot of calls back to back and very little time to do quiet work. I try to find time to speak to my key team members at the start of the day to get a rundown on urgent projects and then I usually only get to clearing my inbox and creating or critiquing work after dinner.

How would you describe your working style?

Collaborative and utilitarian. I always want to drive for rational action pegged to business alignment and establish timelines to help everyone put things into perspective.

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Free time: overrated or underrated? Why?

Underrated. We all need headspace to be creative—we will otherwise be spinning our wheels without actually evolving—and we need to constantly evolve as a business and as people.

How do you achieve a work-life balance? How do you set boundaries?

It has honestly been really challenging. When you are trying to build a business, work is always on your mind and you always have to be hustling. Nothing just happens—there is always an action and a reaction. As a result of this, being able to work well and feel productive is calming in a strange way. That feeling of accomplishment, however big or small, helps keep things in balance. When spending time with loved ones, I try to stay away from my mobile phone. It’s the surest way to cut yourself away from all other distractions and be 100 per cent present.

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Endowus

How do you deal with your shortcomings?

I have good people around me who help me be at my best, and remind me when I’m not. 

What is one failure that you have experienced and what did you learn from it?

I went to UPenn for my undergrad and did an entire year abroad directly enrolled at Peking University with the ambition to be 100 per cent proficient in Chinese, particularly business Chinese. I struggled and improved dramatically, but failed to achieve my goal. Since then I have not maintained my Chinese and it has fallen apart. I realised that we cannot “peak” at everything. We need to specialise where we have an advantage and push the boundaries. We need to get advice and help where we need it rather than trying to do everything ourselves.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever gotten?

“Just do it.” I guess the first time I heard or saw this was with Nike, but it remains so true with every big or little thing we do in life. In general, I see a lot of complaining and pontificating with no action. We are all learning as we go and you just have to get going and evolve.

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Endowus

What is an idea/thought you heard recently that you thought was interesting?

“Does it matter?” I was reading this book called 10% Happier by Dan Harris and realised that many things we stress out about don’t really matter or move the needle.

How do you stay grounded?

Keep things in perspective. Fulfilment does not mean the same thing for everyone so we just have to know what it means for ourselves and make sure we are moving in that general direction. We are constantly inundated with what everyone else is doing. News and social media flow like water and it’s hard not to feel jealous at times but actually, most of what we see doesn’t really matter to us personally. It is just noise.

How do you unplug?

I usually unplug by playing competitive sports. Tennis and squash are my regulars right now. It really makes you focus on a singular task and block out any other noise so you can just focus on winning. It’s a great way to manage stress.

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?

I’ve gotten into the bad habit of reading the Financial Times on my Kindle in bed after my wife falls asleep. Somehow the dull light and text with no images has been a good way to unwind and calm down while also catching up on news.

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