Chinese philosopher and politician, Confucius, once said that our greatest glory is not in failing, but in rising every time we fail.
The adage is true in the life of Levi Kones whose story embodied a proverbial rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Kones, who wears many hats, is a TV Host as well as a producer at Kass FM International. Aside from the media industry, he is an emcee and an author of the book titled There's no Useless Experience.
Speaking on the Shared Moments with Justus channel, Kones detailed how he went from earning millions in the United States to a destitute life back home in Kenya.
Born and bred in Eldoret, Kones painted a picture of his rebellious nature throughout his childhood. This stemmed from the rocky relationship with his father, Sammy Chemwey, who raised his children in a strict environment.
His father, a staunch Christian, had unsuccessfully vied for the Mt Elgon constituency seat on four occasions; 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012.
"In high school, I got suspended while in Form One. My sister, whom we schooled with, was given the letter to take to my father. This was the beginning of a major division between my dad and I. By that time, he was really disappointed in me. When my dad came to school, he caned me in front of the whole assembly. This didn't improve the relations between us.
"I think it was overkill because he volunteered to beat me in order to remove the resistance in me. In the process it triggered something in me especially because I veered off anything that he tried to advocate for including Christianity," he noted.
"I feel there's a point where the stick is put aside and we focus on holding a discussion," he stated while highlighting that his father also played a pivotal role in his education and upbringing, hence his impact worked as a double-edged sword.
After trailing in his studies, Kones got a new lease on life when his student visa application was accepted to study Sports medicine in the USA.
"At the time, there were many jobs in the USA so I did multiple seasonal jobs such as forklift driver, telemarketing, gas station attendant, etc. All this was to get the make-or-break opportunity. Fortunately, I got a job as a territory sales manager at a global company."
"This job was hefty in terms of salaries and allowances. It came with a company van, unlimited fuel card and remote working benefits," he stated.
Kones at the time sought to live in opulence, and hence opted for the finer things in life. From purchasing a brand new BMW to living in a condo where he paid Ksh201, 620 (1700 dollars) rent on a weekly basis.
"After a while, I would clock in to work through the phone and abscond my duties. This was primarily affected by my party lifestyle. During this period, I was doing all manner of things from fueling my sister's car with the company card to fueling my friend's vehicles," he noted.
His party lifestyle, however, caught up with him as he quit school in order to focus on work. At the time, his passport had expired- a situation that would cost him dearly.
His opulent lifestyle, however, hit a dead end when the company he worked for asked him to provide proof of his American citizenship. Fearing that he may end up in cuffs, Kones resigned from his plum job and moved to Chicago, USA.
Deeming it as an opportunity to reinvigorate himself, Kones moved into an apartment with a few friends. Little did he know that this marked the start of events that led to his arrest by the United States police. He was chained and deported to Kenya- with nothing, save for a few pennies.
