A British entrepreneur has shared how he went from living in council housing to being on a first name basis with the wealthiest people in the world – helping them raise the cash they need to realise their plans.
Born on the remote Scottish isle of Islay – which is home to just over 3,200 people and which he is named after – Islay Robinson never imagined his life would turn out this way.
The dad-of-three, who moved to Hounslow with his mum when he was nine years old, attended one of the roughest state schools in the UK.
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Despite his tough upbringing, the 44-year-old was able to get a summer job as a data entry clerk, working at Alexander Hall, a high-end mortgage firm run by Foxtons.
Hanging out with brokers in expensive suits who made big money at a time when the property market was booming, he made the decision to drop out of Sheffield Hallam University.
Fast-forward 20 years and Islay now employs 55 people across two companies: ENNESS and Tenn Capital.
His client book, which consists of entrepreneurs, influencers, pop stars and billionaire business people, is both intimidating and impressive.
When asked to describe his job, the entrepreneur said: “People call me and say, ‘Islay, I need to borrow £4m in three weeks for a business opportunity or to buy a new house’.
“My team and I will review their portfolio and find a way to make that happen.
“It sounds pretty straightforward and to a certain degree, it is, but they don’t pay us to just organise a mortgage or a loan.
“The top 1% want discretion, speed and efficiency – which is all done through a network.
“When the average person buys a house, they will ring up their bank or find a recommended broker who will offer up some rates and alternatives.
“But there’s another market out there, that only very few people have access to – and most don’t even know about.
“I’ve spent 20 years building my black book so that when a request from a high-net-worth individual comes in, I can get through the door at the right bank.
“That’s the biggest secret to working with the rich.”
This isn’t a job for people who prefer a 9 to 5 work life; Islay and his team cater to clients across the globe, meaning they have to be available 24/7.
Earlier this year, a client asked to raise £7m in seven days to buy a property. They made it happen in two days by lending cash against bitcoin.
Islay’s current lifestyle is a far cry from his upbringing.
He said: “My dad was a carpenter and my mum worked in catering – we were very poor.
“When I moved to London, it was a huge culture shock.
“I went from being one of just five people in my class to studying at one of the roughest schools in the UK.
“The expectation was less on providing education and more on making sure the students stayed out of prison.
“At one point, my mum and I even lived in sheltered accommodation.
“I wanted freedom.
“By chance, soon after I’d gone to college, I was offered a summer job by a recruitment consultant to work in a mortgage broker.
“I had no idea what a mortgage was but he just asked if I ‘owned a tie and was okay with travelling into the City’.
“The environment felt very alien.
“At first, I avoided making eye contact and just spent my days putting numbers into a spreadsheet.
“But by the end of the summer, I’d decided to drop out of university because it became clear that there was a better way to get to where I wanted to be.
“I worked my way up through several departments and within three years, I was a top broker.”
Aged just 24, Islay secured his first rental flat in Chiswick and was able to go on luxury holidays for the first time, visiting New York, Dubai and Mexico.
Although he had a good job, he didn’t want to “work 12 hours a day for someone else”.
In 2007, he quit the well-paid City gig to start ENNESS, a finance broker that offers a variety of services from mortgages to corporate finance, securities finance and crypto finance.
As fate would have it, the day the business launched, the British bank Northern Rock collapsed.
He said: “Our company sold mortgages and suddenly, no one wanted or could get one.
“I had a cheap polyester suit from Marks & Spencer – which caught fire after an ill-fated flaming Sambuca shot – an office, printer and a business credit card.
“I was in debt with arrears on my flat and, with no uni degree, my only other career option in a similar area was to take a financial adviser role in Mexico.
“There was no turning back.
“One transaction turned everything around.
“I managed to close a bridging loan for a high-profile client against a property in Virginia Water for £11m.
“That one deal made the company £110,000 and it is how I stayed afloat while the market settled.”
Enness Global also weathered the storm by operating a very unique model.
Rather than relying on banks to pay a fee, they charge the client a fee based on successful transactions.
Despite his success, the entrepreneur says his day-to-day life is not nearly as glamorous as it seems.
He said: “I spend most of my day on the phone or WhatsApp, speaking to the wealthiest people on Earth to deliver a solution to their plans.
“The other day, a musician who is known the world over got in touch to organise a deposit for a UK property.
“He didn’t have the immediate cash but was referred to me through a wealth planner.
“We spoke and my team made the sale happen for him – and that was it.
“But I also have customers that I’ve known for decades.
“One of the best parts of my job is seeing them at the start of their career buy their first house at £300,000 and watch them go bigger and bigger as the years go on.
Outside of work, the dad spends most of his time with Emily, his wife of 10 years, and their three young daughters – aged three, seven and nine [names omitted for privacy reasons].
With Christmas coming up, Islay plans to take some time off to enjoy the festive season with his family.
But first, he is taking his team out to celebrate the year’s big wins.
He added: “We go out for the day, do a quiz and some employee awards, and then it’s time for the drinks.
“We’re taking over a bar in Soho this year and plan to stay there as long as we possibly can.”