{
  "id": 13178208,
  "title": "Money & Me: 'I went from X Factor to having to sell my car to pay staff but now earn Dh130,000 a month’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/money-me-i-went-from-x-factor-to-having-to-sell-my-car-to-pay-staff",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-09T18:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2026/10/09/money-me-i-went-from-x-factor-to-selling-my-car-to-pay-staff-and-now-earn-dh130000-a-month/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "JJ Thompson, a man with a rich background, was a contestant on The X Factor in 2013, a radio presenter, and later a podcast producer. Struggling with financial traumas stemming from his childhood, he decided to take a leap of faith in 2024, leaving a job offer from a major UAE radio network to venture into real estate.\n\nThompson's first job was as a waiter at the age of 16, earning £4.50 an hour. He moved to London at 19, working in various bars and for his father in roofing before landing a job at Harrods. His career in radio began in the UK, transitioning to the UAE in 2016 for Channel 4. However, during the pandemic, his podcast company failed, leaving him without a stable income. He decided to start anew in real estate, despite the risks, which have now paid off.\n\nWith an average monthly income of Dh130,000 now, Thompson's wealth mainly comes from real estate investments. He is particularly interested in off-plan properties, which offer higher rewards but come with greater risks. His best investment is in Hudayriyat Golf Estates in Abu Dhabi, which he expects to yield significant returns by 2030. His luxuries include travel and holidays, with his family being a top priority. Thompson advises his younger self to stay ambitious, not let others' doubts deter him, and to keep going, as all would be well.",
  "summary": "JJ Thompson has a very varied CV. He came ninth on The X Factor in 2013 as part of a boy band, spent years as a radio presenter before launching a podcast production company during Covid, which ultimately failed. Then, in June 2024, he walked away from a job offer at one of the UAE's biggest radio networks to start from scratch in real estate with no salary. More than two years later, he's…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Money & Me: 'I went from X Factor to having to sell my car to pay staff but now earn Dh130,000 a month’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/money-me-i-went-from-x-factor-to-having-to-sell-my-car-to-pay-staff-13179517",
        "published": "2026-10-09T18:02:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}