Life
Reggie Nelson: He knocked on doors so he could ask people for tips on amassing wealth – then a door opened
Meet Reggie Nelson.
When this young man wanted new opportunities, he literally went knocking on people’s door until one opened for him.
A few years ago, he was a determined teenager that door-knocked his way to a top job in the City by googling “richest area in London” and then asking residents how they did it.
Nelson dreamed of a university education, top job and the wealth to go with it – but had no idea how to achieve it.
He was was born and raised on a council estate – by a single-mum after his father died – had been excluded from school and was already having run-ins with the law.

Reggie Nelson (l) meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May. PHOTO/Theresa May/Twitter
But after watching an episode of How’d You Get So Rich – a US TV show where the late Joan Rivers meets a selection of wealthy Americans – he came up with a brazen plan.
He googled “richest area in London” and found Gloucester Road in Kensington and Chelsea – so went there armed with a smile and a preprepared speech.
He knocked on doors and asked: “I just wanted to know what skills and qualities you had that allowed you to live in a wealthy area like this, so I can extrapolate that and use it for myself.”
Impressed residents bestowed advice on the then 18-year-old about work experience and working hard at college.
