How a drug smuggler, who got caught with 6,500 ecstasy pills, went on to build a $30 million tech business
.
'Step this way please," a member of airport security interrupted, before Jackson had reached the anonymity of the arrival lounge.
After a close but inconsequential inspection of his suitcase, Jackson nervously nudged his shoulder bag behind him, hoping it would be ignored.
"And that one," the officer snapped.
Jackson's suitcase was clean, but inside his shoulder bag was 6,500 ecstasy pills, hidden in a big bottle of talcum powder and a pair of gutted Walkman speakers.
As the airport security officer ripped open the talcum powder bottle, hundreds of ecstacy pills wrapped in clingfilm dropped out. The eruption of powder hid nothing: Jackson's guilt was obvious.
"There was no cleverness to it at all," Jackson told Business Insider, in the lounge of the Hilton Hotel near London Bridge, 17 years later.
In the years since he got arrested at Atlanta airport, Jackson has spent time locked up on both sides of the Atlantic as a convicted drug smuggler. On release, he built KashFlow, a business The Guardian reported was sold in 2013 for around £20 million ($30 million.)
Now he is campaigning for prisoners to be encouraged to make use of their mis-used entrepreneurial urges on release. According to a new report from the Centre for Entrepreneurs, this could save the UK tax payer £1.4 billion (about $2 billion) per year, through dramatically lowering re-offending rates.
We sat down with Jackson to ask more about his own incredible journey from convict with no qualifications to multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- JNK India IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Indian Army unveils selfie point at Hombotingla Pass ahead of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market