A youthful entrepreneur, who founded a Ksh1.2 billion company while still a teenager in high school, has passed away while in Kenya.
Confirming Jake Millar's death, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade noted that it was providing consular assistance to his family.
It was not immediately clear what led foreign national to commit suicide on Sunday morning, November 28, or the specific part of the country where it occured.
“The ministry is aware of the tragic death of Jake Millar and is providing consular assistance to his family," read a statement from the Ministry.
Jake Millar, the New Zealand national, is the brains behind Unfiltered and Oompher companies which he founded while still a teenager in High School.
He first founded Oompher, a company that showcased motivational videos from influential people, while still a teenager attending Christchurch Boys’ High School. He sold the company to the country's Ministry of Education.
Later, he founded Unfiltered, which had the same concept but expanded its scope to live events and moved beyond the country's borders. The company, which attracted funding from high-ranking investors, was at some point valued at Ksh1.2 billion (US$12 million).
The then teenager later sold the company to Crimson Education in early 2021 in a deal that upset his investors.
In a March 2021 interview with BusinessDesk, a New Zealand media outlet, Jake Millar, who has hosted Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, revealed that he was preparing to visit Kenya.
He explained that he was coming into the country to experience new things and had no plans of travelling back to his home country.
At the time, investors were waiting for an explanation regarding his decision to sell the company, Unfiltered.
Crimson Education Chief Executive and co-founder Jamie Beaton remembered Millar as an ambitious young man.
“His searing ambitions - to be prime minister, to build transformative companies, to explore life to its fullest - radiated.
“I remember leaving the call feeling totally wowed. New Zealand too often suffocates ambition in its young people, but Jake burned bright. I had never met anyone in New Zealand like Jake Millar," stated Beaton.
Millar passed away aged 26 years.
