24.10.23
The Never-Ending Summers of Matías Apparcel: 10 On The Weekend
10 On The Weekend is a weekly (-ish) feature in IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each time, we ask the same ten questions of a different industry figure, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might in an ordinary business setting.
Our guest this week is Matías Apparcel, CEO of AIM Global Investment Migration
How do you spend your weekends?
As we have offices in both Chile and Portugal, it depends on the country I’m in at the moment, but I tend to spend summers in Portugal and also summers in Chile.
In summer in Chile, I would go to spend the weekend with friends to hike or mountain bike around the Andes Mountains. On other days, I would have a barbeque with family and friends.
In summer in Portugal, I have been doing a lot of kitesurfing at Fonte Da Telha, a beach not far from Lisbon.
In addition, I have the luck of still having three of my four grandparents alive, so whenever I’m in Chile, I spend time with them in Santiago or go to the South of Chile, where the oldest one lives. He’s 99 years old and hopefully will live many more.
What are your top three business goals this year?
This year, I have set some ambitious business goals. Here are my top three priorities:
- As a new player in the industry and probably the only one with headquarters in South America, we will continue to grow within Latin America, and, who knows, maybe we’ll help create an RCBI program in Chile or another Latin country.
- To increase team size and expertise, opening an office in Madrid in the next months is a top priority for both regular migration and investment migration.
- To do more podcasts and content to spread the word in Latin America, where there is still not a lot of knowledge about RCBI programs if you compare it with Europe, North America, or Asia.
What’s your biggest business concern right now?
In the case of Portugal, I am worried about the Government constantly changing successful public policies like the Golden Visa or the Non-Habitual Residency tax regime.
Regarding the real estate option for the Portuguese Golden Visa that was taken out, the Portuguese Government could have transformed it into a ”social housing only” real estate investment option, providing at least one more solution to solving the housing crisis in the country.
Which book is on your nightstand right now?
I read several books at a time, sometimes real books, sometimes audiobooks.
Lately, I’ve been reading Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday. I am fascinated by Stoicism and Buddhism.
In addition, on different topics, but no less interesting, I have been reading The ADHD Advantage by Dale Archer, the new biography of Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, and My Invented Country by Isabel Allende, a book recommended by a Portuguese friend claiming the author’s description of Chile reminded him very much of Portugal.
How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?
I embarked on my journey into the investment migration industry in late 2020.
For the past eight years, I have been a Director of the Chilean-Portugal Chamber of Commerce while running my own law firm in Chile. One day, a Chilean client of ours, knowing my relationship with Portugal, asked us if we could help him with the Golden Visa process, and very quickly, we entered an industry that was unknown to us.
What was your proudest moment as a service provider?
In general, every single approved visa for a whole family to move to Europe/Chile, permanent residence, or passport issue for an individual makes me very happy and proud of the work done. I firmly believe that everyone should have a plan B (and, if possible, a plan C).
On the legal side, as an attorney, I was awarded Fintech Lawyer of the Year for Chile in 2023, and I have been among the youngest lawyers to be selected as a Leading Individual by Chambers and Partners, the top ranking in the legal industry.
Having said that, I think my proudest moment is yet to come.
Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?
Seeing the growth of the outbound Latin American market.
If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?
None. Having my local law firm and being actively involved in doing business with Portugal gave me a soft landing in the industry, so I wouldn’t change a thing.
What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?
I like Henry Fan of Globe Visa. He doesn’t like the exposure some other people love but has an impeccable work ethic that I see as an example to learn from.
If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?
I could see myself living and working most of the year from the Azores, a still-hidden gem between Europe and America.