Kenyan Billionaire Who Rose From Burning Charcoal for a Living

Behind every billionaire's fortune is a unique success story with some more uplifting than others.

Take the case of the Keroche Breweries Chairman Joseph Karanja who rose from charcoal burning to commanding a multi-billion company for instance.

Karanja's daughter, Anerlisa Muigai, took to social media to celebrate her father's success from his troublesome days just to show how his sheer determination made him stand out.

She revealed that Karanja had tried his hand in so many businesses but only tasted success after he attained the age of 50.

"My dad had tried so many businesses and almost lost hope before (he) started Keroche Breweries. KB was started when he was 50 years. At the age of 50 is when he got to see some hope. Now he is the chairman of a whole company. From a charcoal burner to a chairman. I haven't met anyone who is as hardworking as him," she celebrated him.

She further challenged her online fans to follow her father's footsteps and not lose hope before they truly made it.

"You’re never too young to start an empire and never too old to chase a new dream. This is purely to motivate people who feel they have lost hope or feel they will never make it in life. 

"Age is just a number. Don't be in a rush or feel pressured about making it in life," she continued.

Joseph started the alcohol company that accounts for 20 percent of the country's beer consumption (as per 2012 data) together with his wife Tabitha Karanja who serves as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The success was, however, not that easy to achieve. In 1997, the two started making fortified wine that targeted the lower end of the market but were forced to shut it down in 2007 after the government enacted heavy taxes on locally made wines.

That was when they pivoted to the manufacture of the ready-to-drink gin and vodka which grew Keroche Breweries to the ubiquitous company it is today.

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