Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Current Issue

Media Credit: Liz Dzuro Jerry Mathurin with his soon-to-be-growing collection of money.

Today, Jerry Mathurin makes $9.66 an hour as a tutor in the Palm Beach Community College computer lab. In August, the computer science major plans to transfer to FAU as a millionaire.

In December 2006, during what he calls his "a-ha moment," Mathurin decided he was going to become a millionaire by turning his personal journals into an online book and selling
ads around them. An entrepreneur at heart, Mathurin started a company and created a Web site where advertisers could purchase space around each chapter of his 108-page book.

"Everyone always writes about their success after they have made it," Mathurin says, adding he hopes to make the million by this April. "I was like, here I am, I know I will become successful and I decided I wanted to write about that process - a pre-millionaire's journey to success."

After launching A Millionaire's Journal as an official company in August 2007, Mathurin finished editing his book and launched www.amillionairesjournal.com on Nov. 15, 2007. He sold the first ad within a week and the second one a few weeks later - both at $1,000. He's currently meeting with clients to secure new advertisers and hopes to have at least 10 more on board by the end of February - which would mean $12,000.

"I told myself I wanted to become successful no matter what the cost," says Mathurin, who notes his biggest challenge is winning over the doubtful ones. "Telling people about the site and getting them excited is easy, but a lot of business owners are skeptical of the site's success."

In fact, even his mother didn't originally think it was a good idea.

"It wasn't my choice for him at first, but he is a very determined kid," says Mathurin's mother, Yvrose Mabeuf, a certified nursing assistant in Lake Worth. "He's so sure it's going to happen, it's very hard not to believe him."

To promote his site, Mathurin hired public relations firm TransMedia Group (TMG) in December. TMG, which claims to be "America's leading international bilingual public relations firm," liked Mathurin's concept and decided to give him a chance.

"When I spoke with Jerry, I was genuinely impressed," says TMG President Glen Calder, who works in the company's headquarters in downtown Boca Raton. "We work with a lot of millionaires and many of them write about their success after it happens. With his e-book, Jerry is asking for us to come along for the ride - it's kind of refreshing."

Although Mathurin only has two advertisers to date, he's hopeful with the help of TMG he will fill the remaining 1,036 ad spots by the end of April.

"He's very ambitious," Calder says of Mathurin's hopes to reach the million mark by April. "It really hinges on the publicity and the media, but I wouldn't put it past the kid."

Mathurin's book is separated into eight chapters, totaling 108 pages, each chapter describing a different experience and major turning point in his life.

Although the novice writer believes in his book, Mathurin says he doubts anyone will read the whole thing. In fact, he's positive no one will read the book until he makes the million
dollars.

"People love success stories," he says. " They will wait until I become a millionaire and then they'll go back and read the book."

And if you do take a stab at it, Mathurin says his favorite chapter is seven because it's when he had what he calls his "big idea."

"[Chapter seven] is when I knew without a doubt what I wanted," says Mathurin, who admits he worked at Wal-Mart for a few months in 2005 to keep cash in his pockets. "It was after that when I figured out how I was going to actually make it happen."

So where did all his inspiration come from?

"I actually met a millionaire when I was working at an aftercare program, and he took me under his wing and helped mentor me."

Mathurin also notes he admires inspirational writers Napoleon Hill and John Maxwell as well as Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey.

"My dream is to be on Oprah and the Today Show and hit the Forbes top 20 list before I'm 35," Mathurin giggles. "I want people to look at me and say 'who is this kid and how'd he become successful at such a young age?' - that's when I know I'll have made it."


Making the Money
After launching A Millionaire's Journal as an official company in August 2007, Mathurin finished editing his book and launched www.amillionairesjournal.com on Nov. 15, 2007.

He sold the first ad within a week and the second one a few weeks later. There are 1,038 ad spots surrounding Mathurin's 108-page online book, all starting at $1,000 - an ad on the front of a chapter goes for $1,750.

From the money he hopes to make in advertising (estimated at a little over a million), Mathurin will donate 10 percent to a local charity, allowing others to "have a chance to make a difference in the lives of people who really need it." Mathurin has a list of 10 charities and readers can vote for their favorite.

The winning charity will get a $50,000 donation, $25,000 will go to the second place and $10,000 to the third place. The seven remaining charities will get an estimated $2,142.86 depending on Mathurin's total earnings.

After the donation and the advertising plus public relations costs, Mathurin hopes to be left with about $900,000 to start a new company.

"I'm not exactly sure what the next company is going to be," he says with a smirk. "But I have a few good ideas up my sleeve."

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