At six, his family joined a conservative church, and by 11, his father became a pastor. By 12, Jeff began earning his own money, from mowing lawns to running a fish guiding business during college. His father, an excellent negotiator, passed on those skills, which Jeff used to turn around a failing business in his mid-20s. By 37, he had sold his stake and moved his family to Montevideo, Uruguay—just months before the 2008 financial crisis.