About two years ago David Blake was released from jail with $150 in his pocket.
Today he owns a business which employs eight people and turns over $50 million.
“My life is back on track,” he said.
He was released from prison on Christmas Eve, 2019, a “broken man”, Blake said.
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His wife then told him she wanted a divorce and, at his lowest point, he called his father in Christchurch and asked him if he could come home. He tried various jobs until he and a friend started Investment Build.
The business is based in a serviced office in Christchurch and caters to people looking for residential investments. As Blake, 61, described it, the business, which is not a registered company, offered a section and build package to its investors, specialising in duplexes.
The investor then paid the money to Investment Build’s accountant who used the money to pay the builder for that project only. Investment Build then project managed the build and got a margin on the build contract. Blake said his firm built 43 houses in its first year and expected to build another 100 in its second year.
“The customer…
