Giving up sex can be a very difficult task - especially if you are given no real reason to do so.
But Somesh Kay, a self-confessed sex addict, has become a success story off the back of his celibacy, as he is now a millionaire living abroad in a happy marriage.
So, how exactly did he do it?
Advert
Kay, 24, was born and raised near Punjab in India, starting his business resume at 11 by selling condoms to older students in his school, which he says was a 'Christian school', as they were scared that the shopkeepers would tell their parents.
He explained: "One lunchtime, I realised all the kids in years 11 and 12 wanted to go and buy condoms, but they couldn't because it was very orthodox.
"I would miss school and go to another city an hour away by bus, buy boxes of condoms and sell them for a 1,000% margin. I used to deliver them inside a book."
Advert
Earning the nickname 'The Condom Kid', he continued doing it for four years and made a lot of money, $1,500 (£1,200), and hid it under his bed so his parents wouldn't ask questions.
But a nun at the school soon discovered the operation and kicked him out.
Somesh also explained that young heartbreak spurred him on during his business journey. He said she left him for an 'older, richer' guy, but it pushed me to think, 'Right, I need to make money.'
Launching a successful online clothing site that earned him $1,000 (£800) a day at 17, his father took notice of his skillset and suggested that he move abroad to pursue his dreams.
Advert
Spending all of his savings, Somesh funded a visa to become an international student in Melbourne, Australia, but he spend three months of sleeping on the streets, where he said he 'learnt a lot of lessons' as he had been wealthy in India.
During this time, he would raid trollies for $1 to buy food and connect to free Wi-Fi - which taught him about day trading.
Smart investments following the COVID-19 pandemic also boosted Somesh's bank balance as he raked in the rewards.
Advert
Explaining how he did it, Somesh said: "Having the 18 months not focusing on women and sex was vital in helping me become a millionaire."
He admitted that he used to 'have sex five times a day in India' but stopped completely to focus on his bigger goals, which ultimately earned him $1.3 million (£1 million) in stock trading.
Speaking about how he made his money, he explained: "Every book I read said, 'When others are scared, that's when you buy; when they're greedy, that's when you sell.'
Advert
"I used the $20,000 I'd saved from 2018 - 2020 to invest, it was like spread betting."
His sex ban lasted from November 2018 to May 2020 upon meeting his now wife, Holly Kay, with the two marrying in December 2021.
Somesh said: "I went into 2020 just a regular dude, and I finished 2020 at about $1.3 million.
"I took the break from sex to focus on my business after reading 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill - the last chapter is about channelling your sexual energy.
"In that book, he mentions something about 'if you're addicted to sex, you'll never be able to grow and do something with your life'.
"It read like he was talking to me. I was coming from India, I was the king of India, I could just pick and choose at this stage of life.
"In India I was having sex five times a day. I was addicted to sex, I had too much energy, I needed to make that sacrifice."
He told himself he had nothing to lose, having moved to a country with almost no money and no knowledge of English, and locked himself in his room every day after work to study for hours.
As his final piece of advice, the Punjab-raised man stated: "My advice would be: Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
"That phrase changed the way I looked at stuff. Everyone wants money to live in a good house, but no one wants to put in the work.
"If you want to go to heaven, you have to be willing to die for it.
"Also, don't have sex so you can focus on work."
Topics: Business, Health, Sex and Relationships