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28 Rules for Sovereign Individuals · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Most people live their entire lives assuming the system is basically on their side, that their country wants what's best for them, that the rules will stay more or less the same.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: That if they follow the script, everything will work out.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: History says otherwise.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Every major shock of the last century, wars, currency collapses, capital controls, forced conscription, asset seizures had one thing in common.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: The people who suffered most were the ones who had no alternatives.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: No second passport, no exit plan, no leverage.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: A sovereign individual is simply someone who refuses to be trapped by a single system.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Someone who understands that governments act in their own interests, that freedom is fragile, and that optionality is the ultimate form of insurance.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: This video is not about paranoia.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about hiding in the woods or rejecting modern life.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not about breaking the law.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's about thinking clearly in a world where states grow stronger, rules change faster, and individuals who fail to plan end up paying the price.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: What follows are 28 rules for sovereign individuals.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Practical, hard-earned principles for protecting your freedom, your family, and your future across borders, currencies, and political cycles.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to follow all of them today, but ignoring them entirely comes at a cost.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Because the world isn't free, but you can be.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number one, never give one country a monopoly over you.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: If you have just one citizenship and one residency, you are essentially giving a single country a monopoly over you.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And if there's anything we know about monopolies, it's that they inevitably lead to two things lower quality services at worst terms.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: With monopolies, you get things like the post office or the DMV.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: They don't need to treat you well because, well, where else are you gonna go?
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you have only one country, it doesn't matter how much you diversify your portfolio.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Your eggs are still all in the same basket.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: If you have only one country, that country has all the leverage.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: You need to start shifting the leverage away from the country and toward yourself.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number two, never assume where you're from is where you belong.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's a big world with hundreds of countries and millions of cities.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: You happen to be born in one of them.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: What are the odds that out of a world of options, the particular place you're from is optimal for you?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Very slim.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you love the place you're from because that's where you have roots, good for you.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Just make sure you don't let your roots become chains.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: If you're from a suboptimal place, it could be because your ancestors were too timid or incapable of breaking away from it.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: But you can be the one to break the cycle.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: You can be the first in your lineage to consciously choose where your family will be from.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Steve Jobs' family left Syria so he could be from San Francisco.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Talk about consequential decisions.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can be the patriarch that stakes out a new path for his future clan.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: You can start your own dynasty somewhere better.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number three, never pay more tax than legally required.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to make a philosophical argument as to whether taxation is theft, which of course it is.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: But just practically speaking, letting the government, a group of people who don't have your best interests at heart, have more money than strictly necessary is an unwise move.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: They will use that money to benefit themselves, further subjugate you, and waste most of the remainder.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to help other people with your money, that's what philanthropy is for.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number four, never leave yourself open to military conscription.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Fighting to defend your family, your property, and your values is a noble endeavor.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Being forced to fight on behalf of a government that doesn't give a damn about you alongside people with whom all you have in common is being born within the same border is not.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number five, never rely on the government for protection.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: The government cannot effectively protect you for two reasons.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: First, the government is itself the primary threat to your life and liberty, so you don't need the government to protect you.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be protected from the government.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Second, even in instances where the government is supposed to protect, such as from crime and injustice, it does a poor job of it.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: Usually it's too little, too late.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number six, never assume your country wants what's best for you.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: What you think of as your country is really just a group of people calling itself the government that proclaims the right to rule over you.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: They care about what's best for you in the same way that a farmer cares about what's best for his cattle.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Some farmers treat their cows better than others, but ultimately what they care about is that the cows remain able to provide milk.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's the same with you.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Politicians care about you to the extent that you can give them tax money and votes.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number seven, never keep all your assets in one country.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: A single jurisdiction can freeze your accounts, seize your property, or change the rules overnight.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Spread your assets across borders or have a single point of failure.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number eight, never keep all your homes in one country.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Sovereign individuals are ready for any contingency.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: This includes having alternate homes to which they can go on short notice, whether because of a war, a natural disaster, a pandemic, or government clampdowns.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Reduce your vulnerability by spreading your homes across multiple countries.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number nine, never keep all your bank accounts in one country.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a Canadian trucker or someone prominent in the crypto industry, you probably know how disruptive it can be to find yourself debanked.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Nigel Farage famously saw his UK bank accounts closed because of his political beliefs.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: A country might impose capital controls without warning, leaving your money locked inside the country.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: The 2013 banking crisis in Cyprus shows what happens when depositors are forced to take a haircut.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you don't have all your bank accounts in the same country, and ideally not in the same geopolitical blocks, so that if the EU, Washington, or other powers that be deem you unworthy of banking, you can still carry on your life normally.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number ten, never expose all your money to a single currency.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Practically all fiat currencies have gone to zero.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: This time in history is not different.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: In an ideal world, we wouldn't need to hold any fiat currency at all.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: In the real world, the best you can do is to spread your fiat holdings among multiple currencies.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number eleven.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Never get emotionally attached to a country.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Patriotism can blind you to declining freedoms.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Love people, landscapes, and culture, not bureaucracies and borders.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Stay clear eyed enough to leave when staying becomes a liability.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twelve.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Never tell anyone how much Bitcoin you own.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Loose lips can sink ships.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Bitcoin is the ultimate sovereign currency and you're right to hold it, but never go yapping to people about how much of it you have.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: You never know who will use it against you.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number thirteen, never speak just one language.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Every new language you learn multiplies your opportunities.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: It gives you access to markets, networks, and mindsets that are closed off to monolinguals.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Language is leverage and it compounds.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking just one language limits your easy life zones.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: When you speak additional languages, entire new regions open up for you.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Spanish opens up Latin America, Mandarin gives you entry to the world's biggest diaspora network.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Don't let monolingualism limit your options.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number fourteen never stop learning high value portable skills.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: Governments and criminals can take your property, but not your knowledge.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Skills that travel with you, coding, sales, investing, craftsmanship, are your most durable assets.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: They are a form of insurance, allowing you to make a living wherever you go.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: A sovereign individual is valuable anywhere.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number fifteen.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Never publicly announce your travel plans.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Refrain from constantly sharing your movements with the world through social media posts.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: There are many ways this can be used against you, including by tax authorities, kidnappers, or crazy fans if you're a public person.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number sixteen, never give bureaucrats more information than required.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Every form you complete can be used against you later.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Answer only what the law requires, no more, no less.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: The less they know, the freer you remain.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number seventeen.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Never assume laws will remain favorable to you.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: Presume that whatever laws currently work in favor of your assets or your freedom in general will change in the future.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: No structure or setup is ever final.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Free countries can become repressive.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Tax advantages can turn into tax traps.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Always keep an eye on the political horizon.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Remain diversified across jurisdictions and be ready to adapt on short notice.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number eighteen, always maintain location independent income.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't already, start now building income streams that allow you to earn money wherever you are.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Could you move countries tomorrow without disruption to your cash flow?
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Location independent income can take many forms.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Remote businesses like e-commerce, SAS, consulting or content, dividend paying equities, rental properties, you name it.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: There are many sources of location independent income.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Start building them today.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number 19.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Always make sure a portion of your wealth is portable.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: You might have to leave a given country on very short notice.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: There might not be time to liquidate your local property portfolio, sell your business assets, and so on.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Keep a meaningful share of your wealth in assets you can bring with you, most notably Bitcoin, but also gold coins, diamonds, luxury watches, and similar.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Always assume governments will become more restrictive.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: History is full of examples of countries that started out free and grew gradually or even suddenly more repressive.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't assume that the relative freedom a given country offers today is going to last forever.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: A common trajectory in history is the following.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Countries with a lot of freedom become wealthy.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: That wealth attracts the extractive classes, and the state grows.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Eventually, the state becomes so dominant that the wealth from which it drew its power dissipates.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then the state collapses and a new, freer state takes its place.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Then the cycle begins anew.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Recognize which part of the cycle you're in right now and plan accordingly.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty one always assume a residency or citizenship will be harder to get later.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes citizenships and residencies become more easily attainable over time.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: But the more attractive the country, that is, the more positive the country's general trajectory, the more people will wish to gain citizenship or residency there.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: The political reflex is to make citizenship or residency more difficult or more expensive to get.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: So recognize countries that are on a good trajectory early and get residency or citizenship while the getting is good.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty two.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Always have a counterparty free way to move money.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Capital controls are not necessarily a thing of the past, even in the West.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: It could easily return to both North America and Europe.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Don't assume you'll be able to bring your bank deposits or ETFs with you.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty three, always own assets that can't be seized.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: Asset seizure is not something that only happens to international criminal masterminds.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: It happens to regular people every day.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: It happened to Canadian truckers who protested against COVID restrictions.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: It happened to Venezuelan business owners during the Chavez regime.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: It happens to dentists who get sued for malpractice.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: Protect yourself with trusts, foundations, and assets that are seizure resistant, like cryptocurrencies and precious metals.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number 24.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Always be prepared to defend yourself physically and legally.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying you need to get a black belt in karate or pass the bar, but you should establish relationships with competent legal counsel in the countries where you spend the most time and know the basics of self-defense.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Six months of training in a martial art will stand you in better stead than 90% of people.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty five, always stay physically fit.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Weak or sick people can't be free.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: Take your health very seriously.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can have the most bulletproof corporate and tax structures in the world, but they won't be worth a farthing if you can't get out of bed.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can't escape, rebuild, or adapt if you're weak or sick.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Physical strength is moral strength made visible.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty six.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: Always think three steps ahead.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Consider the geopolitical horizon.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Pay attention to demographic shifts, debt crises, and emerging authoritarianism.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: The earlier you see patterns, the less you'll suffer their consequences.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty seven.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Always keep a portion of your wealth outside of banks and off exchanges.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Bank accounts can be frozen, exchanges can be hacked.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Hold some assets privately, offline, under your control.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: If every cent you own depends on the security measures of a third party or remaining in good standing with bureaucrats, you're not sovereign.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Rule number twenty eight.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Always build a globally distributed circle of kindred spirits.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: This may seem like a soft recommendation, but it's actually the most important rule on this list.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Freedom is lonely without allies.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Build relationships with people who share your mindset across continents.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Your network, as they say, is your net worth.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Trusted personal relationships can open doors even when borders close.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: They can help you get settled in a new place and make a fresh start.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: When systems collapse, community becomes a currency.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it, the 28 rules for sovereign individuals.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: These rules are not radical.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: They are rational responses to a world in which states grow stronger and individuals grow weaker.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, the world isn't free, but you can be.