+$100M Exit, Then I Failed. Why 70% of Second-Time Founders Do Too.

127 founders (net worth: ~$1M–$100M+) opened up their personal books. Want to see how your finances stack up? https://www.joinhampton.com/wealth-report

After a nine-figure exit, Anastasia Koroleva went through divorce, failure, and identity loss. She reflects on what she didn’t see coming.

Here’s what we talk about:

• Anastasia’s journey from a bootstrapped nine-figure success to divorce, burnout, and identity loss
• Why second businesses often fail, and how success the first time around can actually work against you
• The four biggest traps post-exit founders fall into: rushing into something new, chasing unfamiliar industries, losing self-awareness, and falling into “Sudden Wealth Syndrome”
• How to rebuild your life after selling a company using frameworks like Maslow’s hierarchy and cognitive dissonance theory
• Why wealth alone doesn’t create fulfillment, and what actually does
• Anastasia’s personal portfolio strategy: no wealth manager, heavy in private credit, designed for low stress and high flexibility
• A real look at her post-exit lifestyle, including two homes and $650K to $1M in annual spending
• How long it truly takes to feel whole again after an exit, and why slowing down might be the smartest move
• Why she now spends her time helping other founders avoid the same mistakes

Cool Links:

• Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/
• Anastasia’s Podcast https://www.exitparadox.com/
  
  

Chapters:

• (00:00) Introduction: The Big Picture Trap
• (00:56) Meet Anastasia's Net Worth
• (03:14) Anastasia's Early Life and Career Beginnings
• (04:19) The Silicon Valley Leap and First Ventures
• (07:25) The Emotional Rollercoaster of Success
• (09:25) Post-Exit Challenges and Personal Struggles
• (17:55) The Psychology of Second Ventures
• (24:26) Understanding Sudden Wealth Syndrome
• (28:20) Minimizing Psychological Discomfort Post-Exit
• (29:37) The Paradox of Wealth and Freedom
• (31:30) Confronting Financial Freedom
• (32:48) The Third Level of Wealth
• (33:30) Emotional Challenges and Evolution Post-Exit
• (34:49) Rebuilding the Basics: The Maslow Pyramid
• (35:44) The Goldilocks Approach to Post-Exit Life
• (48:07) Managing Wealth Post-Exit

This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances.

Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.

Your Host: Harry Morton

• Founder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.
• Co-parents a cow named Eliza.