Most people fear being broke. But what if going broke—strategically—is actually a sign you’re leveling up? Billionaires and bold entrepreneurs understand this paradox well: sometimes you must strip yourself of comfort to step into greater capacity.
In this reflective piece, Chidomere Ndubuisi shares how repeatedly emptying his bank account to reinvest in new ventures—from petroleum distribution to automobile services—became the catalyst for Pamtech’s explosive growth. His story is a masterclass in calculated risk, discipline, and the courage to go “strategically broke” for exponential returns.
💡 The Power of Being “Strategically Broke” — How Temporary Sacrifice Builds Lasting Wealth
“Being strategically broke once or twice a year is actually one of the smartest things most billionaires do.
Right now, I am very very broke. Remember two years ago Dangote the Richest Man in Africa said he was broke.
I will share this story with you. In 2016, I felt I had saved some money, but enough to feel secured with two cars.
I had the mandate of Pamtech vision. I had done my apprentiship and researched, I saw the supply gaps in petroleum distribution and it was a big problem in Imo state.
I knew if I could solve it, there was money to be made. But here was my problem. I was renting trucks for delivery but I was at the mercy of truck owners.
I can’t control delivery time, I can’t guarantee quality and can’t scale. I was basically a middleman in my business.
So I made a decision that changed my life, You know what I did…. I used ALL my money to buy two tanker trucks.
Not one. TWO.
So, every kobo I had saved. Every penny. GONE.
I remember the day I made that payment for the truck’s first trip to lift products from Aba depot. I checked my account balance and it was N87,000 remaining.
That’s what I had left after buying those trucks and paying for the products they will carry. .
The broke season began and at a time my wife was worried.
She didn’t say it directly, but I could see it in her eyes. Before this, I always had loose cash. If she needed something, no problem. If the kids needed anything, sorted.
Now? Every single kobo that came in went straight back into the petrol distribution business….
I had NO loose cash again. Zero flexibility.
In fact some of my friends laughed at me because I couldn’t attend every party they called for. I couldn’t spray money at weddings or events, So I stopped honouring every hangout invitation.
They started talking.
This Chidomere, he just started business and he is already acting like he is broke.
This Guy bought two trucks and he is doing oil and gas business and now he can’t even buy beer for his guys.
Chaaii, see me nah, I couldn’t meet social responsibilities any more.
The ones that hurt the most was my cousin that needed help with school fees of N80k. I couldn’t help.
Some of my friends I used to give soft loan will come and I can’t help them anymore.
People noticed and they talked. But you know what I noticed?
While they felt rich with the money in thier bank, I felt broke with N20M worth of WORKING TRUCKS on the road.
Few months of feeling broke, something happened.
Because we had OUR OWN trucks, we could guarantee 1-hour delivery in Imo state. Some competitors were still doing 2-3 days.
Clients started choosing us. Not because we were cheapest. Because we were very FAST and RELIABLE.
By the 6th Month, those two trucks were making MORE money than I made in a year and we bought a third truck because I was putting back all the money to the business still feeling broke.
In less than 5 years, we had over 25 trucks and became the biggest petroleum distributor in Imo State. I wasn’t broke anymore.
But you know what? In 2020, I chose to be broke AGAIN…. because we were now expanding into automobile solutions (Pamtech Autoland).
Then I chose to be broke AGAIN when we launched Autoparts, Luxury Ride services and media division.
Every major growth in Pamtech came from a season where I was strategically BROKE.
I am strategically broke RIGHT NOW. I need Money.
As I am writing this in November 2025, I am feeling broke AGAIN.
Why?
Because I have three massive projects running simultaneously…
1. Learn with Pamtech (building a skill development center)
2. Real estate project (land acquisition and development)
3. New media Studio and Tech solution system
Every available naira is going into these three things.
Am I scared? A little bit.
But I have learned something over these 9 years… The seasons I felt the BROKEST were the seasons I GREW the MOST.
Now, Let me break this down for you.
There is a difference between…
Stupid broke… Spent all your money on luxury cars/gadgets or women and now you can’t pay rent
Strategic broke…. Invested all your money in equipment/skills/expansion and now you are temporarily cash tight but asset rich.
Let me show you how to do this right with the 80/20 Strategic Broke Rule
This is the formula I use most times.
80% of your accumulated profit should be deployed ONCE per year on ONE big move that will 5X-10X your business.
20% stays as absolute emergency fund for medical, or critical emergencies only.
Your “once or twice a year broke” investment must fit into ONE of these three categories:
CATEGORY A…. Capability expansion where you are investing in the ability to serve BIGGER or MORE clients.
CATEGORY B…. Distribution expansion where you are investing in reaching NEW markets or locations.
CATEGORY C…. Multiplication systems where you are investing in systems that create leverage or passive income.
The Somiari Lucky question that always gets me thinking… What investment will let me earn MORE money WITHOUT trading MORE of my time?
There are special seasons to go broke ooh and before that, make sure you create your survival plan BEFORE you go broke
Before you invest everything, answer these three questions:
Question 1… What’s my worst case scenario? If this investment returns ZERO, how will I survive?
If you can’t answer this confidently, you are not ready to go strategic broke.
Question 2…. what’s my break-even timeline? How long until this investment pays for itself?
If break-even is longer than your emergency fund can cover, DON’T DO IT YET.
Question 3…. What’s my 10X scenario? If this works BETTER than expected, what’s possible? This is your VISION and it is what keeps you going when you are broke and scared.
After answering these questions, tell your spouse/partner that you are going to be broke… Don’t surprise them with “we are broke now.”
Get their buy-in BEFORE you go broke.
I will continue this topic next time but help me share this with someone who needs to stop playing it safe and start playing it SMART.
This post might save someone’s business. Don’t let it stop with you.
© Chidomere Ndubuisi x Facebook [Original post]