Not a Soap Opera, This is the Real Story of a Billionaire Becoming a Garbage Collector

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Not a Soap Opera, This is the True Story of a Billionaire Becoming a Trash Collector.

"He is bankrupt. Debts are piling up. He has become a fugitive. His life is in ruins."

Dream - Like a wheel, life keeps spinning. Sometimes someone is on top. Successful. But in a moment, they are crushed underneath. Downfall. That is the story of Ali Jafar Al-Miraihil, a man from Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. This 43-year-old man used to be a millionaire. But his fate changed and he became a garbage collector.

Not a Soap Opera, This is the Real Story of a Billionaire Becoming a Garbage Collector

The story began when Jafar visited Bahrain several times. He then found his soulmate, a local woman. They were blessed with four children.

After the wedding, Jafar often visited Bahrain. He saw business opportunities in his wife's country. And not just intentions, he turned those opportunities into a real business. "Seeing the market in Bahrain, I realized there is great potential for investment success," said Jafar, as quoted from Saudi Gazette.

"In 2003, he lived in Manama and established an air conditioner (AC) trading company. "I applied for a trade permit from the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Bahrain and obtained the permit in 2004," he said. The permit was in hand and gradually the business grew rapidly. In a short time, he obtained significant projects and contracts with large companies. The business continued to expand to include importing cement and steel for construction. "I started the business with a capital of 100 thousand riyals [Rp 350 million], and it grew to 700 thousand riyals [Rp 2 billion] in a few years," said Jafar."

The business went smoothly until he got the Durat Al-Bahrain project contract. This is where the failure struck.

The problem arose after buying building materials, the price of construction steel plummeted. So the contractors refused to pay with the previous value before the price dropped. At that time, he had to bear a loss of 250 thousand riyals or nearly 900 million Indonesian rupiah. Since then, the contractors have left him. And unfortunately, he got trapped in a debt of 1 million riyals or around 3.5 billion Indonesian rupiah. "I borrowed from the bank and borrowed from many people, and I could never repay, even though only 10 percent has been returned."

Jafar cannot sue the contractors because he has no money at all. "I cannot repay my loan, I also cannot get a job because the Bahrain police prohibit me from leaving Bahrain and have issued an arrest warrant for me."

"Yes, Jafar went bankrupt. The debts piled up. On top of that, he became a fugitive. His life is truly in ruins. "I sold everything I had and all I could do was seek refuge at the Saudi Embassy in Bahrain."

Clearly he is unable. Moreover, every time he goes to the doctor, he has to pay 300 riyals or around Rp 1 million out of his own pocket. There is no choice, so he started working washing cars on the streets to cover the medical expenses. Not only that, he also collects garbage. Becoming a scavenger. But luckily, the Saudi Embassy in Bahrain agreed to pay part of the debt, as well as the medical expenses. The Embassy also provided a lawyer to handle his business case in court. But unfortunately, according to Jafar, the Embassy then turned against him.

"“I was desperate, so I went to the human rights commission but they refused to accept my case,”"

Ali Jafar Al-Miraihil, Saudi Gazette

However, in the end, Jafar pleaded with the creditors to release him from the obligation to pay the debt, and fortunately, most of the creditors agreed. He was then able to pay off most of the debt. Currently, Jafar still has a remaining debt of 300 riyals or around 1 billion Indonesian Rupiah. And apparently, his request to the Saudi Ministry of Interior for assistance was successful. The ministry promised to settle Jafar's debts.

Jafar admitted that he has not received the promised money to settle it yet. But he is confident that he will receive the assistance. And once it's settled, he intends to return to Saudi Arabia. Living in his hometown...