Business

How High Net Worth Entrepreneurs Protect Their Business and Personal Wealth

Published

5 years ago

July 3, 2020

They say your health is your wealth and that proves to be very true but your wealth is your wealth also, and as a high-earning small business owner, you need to do everything you can to protect it. According to a recent report, it was revealed that small business owners have a lot of their business’ net worth connected to their business… In doing that, it’s detrimental that you take every necessary step to protect your business and your personal wealth but according to the report, there aren’t too many business owners taking those necessary steps to protect either.

As a small business owner, the very first step you can take in protecting your business is, at least, investing in business insurance for protection against potential business threats… this is especially important if you’re in the business of providing a service or giving advice. If so, you’re going to need a business insurance policy that protects against negligence as well as any other potential damages. Obtaining business insurance is the first and foremost part of protecting your business.

Just look at 24-year-old millionaire entrepreneur Abdelkader Bachr… He shares advice on how to become a top digital marketer, but do you think he’s sharing his knowledge without being protected by an air-tight business insurance policy? Absolutely not. You can best believe he’s done everything in his power to protect all of his wealth and assets.

There are, of course, other ways to protect your business and personal wealth but running a business is very tedious and time-consuming, which could mean that you simply forgot to call that lawyer back… you’re not intentionally neglecting your wealth but as you notice your business starting to quickly grow, that should be a huge sign for you to “up the ante” on making sure your business and personal wealth are protected.

Do you know how many small businesses have been victims of fraud? Millions. According to the FTC, over 1.4 million fraud reports were collected last year and in 2018, of all the small businesses that reported fraud, they lost $1.48 billion.

The fact that you’re a high-earning small business owner means that the last thing you need or want to be worrying about is fraud and how thieves can get you for all you’ve got… the only thing you need to be worrying about is how to make your vacation as luxurious as possible!

In knowing those stats, doesn’t that make you want to go back and take a more detailed glance at how well you’re protecting your business and personal wealth? If you need a few pointers on how to give yourself some peace of mind over the protection of your business and personal wealth, take a look at some of these actionable moves.

Establish Business Credit

For so long all you hear is how credit is bad and it just puts people in more and more debt… that may be partially true but even in that statement, it’s all about how you use credit. If you’re an irresponsible borrower, then yes, it will only drown you further and further into debt. But from a business perspective, credit can be one of the best things you can do for your business.

Because we’ve been told for so many years to “use cash if you have it” without realizing the beauty in credit. Not utilizing business credit cards and loans to grow your business are one of the biggest mistakes a small business owner can do, actually. And you don’t want to just use it in the beginning stages either… you want to use all throughout the growth and expansion of your business.

There are so many small business owners who are going into debt personally from using personal assets and being reliant on their own personal credit health to support their business. By establishing business credit, it’s going to safely separate your personal credit history from your business credit history, and that’s what’s going to keep your personal assets safe… you want to always keep personal and business transactions separate as much as possible.

Look at Outside Investment Opportunities

As a small business owner, your business is your baby (so to say) and you’ve invested a sizable amount of money into it and plan on continuing to invest in it… Well, that’s perfectly fine but have you ever considered investing outside of your business?

Think of it like this… if you told your financial advisor that you wanted to invest all of your assets into a single stock, they would highly advise you not to do that because you’d be putting your entire personal wealth at risk of being lost. By only investing in your business, you’re doing the same exact thing to your personal wealth as well.

To keep your personal wealth safe, you first want to get with a financial advisor to discuss the investment options you have and which ones would be a better fit for you. Things like stocks, real estate, and structured notes are all great investment opportunities. To take your protection even further, you can invest a sizable percentage into disability and life insurance to protect your family from any type of financial hardships in the event that you’re not able to work for an unplanned extended amount of time.

Ensure Financial Security With a Buy-Sell Agreement

This is the part of business that most business owners don’t want to think about. It’s actually one of the most important protection plans you can have for your business, your family, and yourself. In the event that you die or become permanently disabled, have you thought of who will run the business next and where the money will go?

You may not have thought that far ahead but a buy-sell agreement is something that’s better to go on and get set up while you’re able to do it. This type of agreement will not only provide protection to your business and personal wealth but it will also give you peace of mind in knowing that your business and family will be financially taken care of in your incapacitation or death.

Business

Derik Fay and the Quiet Rise of a Fintech Dynasty: How a Relentless Visionary is Redefining the Future of Payments

Published

9 hours ago

October 17, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Long before the headlines, before the Forbes features, and well before he became a respected fixture in boardrooms across the country, Derik Fay was a kid from Westerly, Rhode Island with little more than grit and audacity. Now, with a strategic footprint spanning more than 40 companies—including holdings in media, construction, real estate, pharma, fitness, and fintech—Fay’s influence is as diversified as it is deliberate. And his most recent move may be his boldest yet: the acquisition and co-ownership of Tycoon Payments, a fintech venture poised to disrupt an industry built on middlemen and outdated rules.

Where many entrepreneurs chase headlines, Fay chases legacy.

Rebuilding the Foundation of Fintech

In the saturated space of payment processors, Fay didn’t just want another transactional brand. He saw a broken system—one that labeled too many businesses as “high-risk,” denied them access, and overcharged them into silence. Tycoon Payments, under his stewardship, is rewriting that narrative from the ground up.

Instead of the all-too-common “fake processor” model, where companies act as brokers rather than actual underwriters, Tycoon Payments is being engineered to own the rails—integrating direct banking partnerships, custom risk modeling, and flexible support for underserved industries.

“Disruption isn’t about being loud,” Fay said in a private strategy session with advisors. “It’s about fixing what’s been ignored for too long. I don’t chase waves—I build the coastline.”

Quiet Power, Strategic Depth

Now 46 years old, Fay has evolved from scrappy gym owner to an empire builder, founding 3F Management as a private equity and venture vehicle to scale fast-growth businesses with staying power. His portfolio includes names like Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, BIGG Pharma, Results Roofing, FayMs Films, and SalonPlex—but also dozens of companies that never make headlines. That’s by design.

Where others seek followers, Fay builds founders. Where most celebrate their exits, Fay reinvests in people.

While he often deflects conversations around his personal wealth, analysts estimate his net worth to exceed $100 million, with some placing it comfortably over $250 million, based on exits, real estate holdings, and the trajectory of his current ventures.

Yet unlike others in his tax bracket, Fay still answers cold DMs. He mentors rising entrepreneurs without cameras rolling. And he shows up—not just with capital, but with conviction.

A Mogul Grounded in Real Life

Outside of business, Fay remains committed to his role as a father and partner. He shares two daughters, Sophia Elena Fay and Isabella Roslyn Fay, and has been in a relationship with Shandra Phillips since 2021. He’s known for keeping his personal life private, but those close to him speak of a man who brings the same intention to parenting as he does to scaling multimillion-dollar ventures—focused, present, and consistent.

His physical stature—standing at 6′1″—matches his professional gravitas, but what’s more striking is his ability to operate with both discipline and empathy. Fay’s reputation among founders and CEOs is not just one of capital deployment, but emotional intelligence. As one partner noted, “He’s the kind of guy who will break down your pitch—and rebuild your belief in yourself in the same breath.”

The Tycoon Blueprint

The playbook Fay is writing at Tycoon Payments doesn’t just threaten incumbents—it reinvents the infrastructure. This isn’t another “fintech startup” with a flashy brand and no backend. It’s a strategically positioned venture with real underwriting power, cross-border ambitions, and a founder who understands how to scale quietly until the entire industry has to take notice.

In an age where so many entrepreneurs rely on noise and virality to build influence, Fay remains a master of what can only be called elite stealth. He doesn’t need the spotlight. But his impact casts a long shadow.

Conclusion: The Empire Expands

From Rhode Island beginnings to venture boardrooms, from gym owner to fintech force, Derik Fay continues to build not just businesses—but a blueprint. One rooted in resilience, innovation, and long-term infrastructure.

Tycoon Payments may be the latest chess piece. But the game he’s playing is bigger than one move. It’s a long game of strategic leverage, intentional legacy, and generational wealth.

And Fay is not just playing it. He’s redefining the rules.