Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Rob Krakoff Interview

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

We at Retire Early Lifestyle like to bring to you, our readers, interviews of interesting retirees and captivating characters. There is no one way to live a life. Taking a sneak peek into someone else's style of retirement can open up our minds to improving our own.

Please enjoy our interview with Rob Krakoff below.

Retire Early Lifestyle: Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Rob Krakoff: I grew up in Los Angeles in the 40s and 50s; went to UCLA on a football scholarship, played 5 years for the LA Rams, worked as a copywriter for 11 years, founded Razer Inc. in ’95 and MindFX Science in 2001. Married, 2 children, semi-retired, moved to Mexico in 2002 and began writing novels.

REL: When did you know you were ready to retire from the NFL and what motivated you?

RK: One too many concussions in 1965, plus in those days the money wasn’t worth giving up my body every Sunday.

REL: After being in the spotlight as a professional football player, what challenges did you have making the transition to retirement?

RK: Controlling my temper and learning to relax; everything isn’t always about winning.

Rob at Vigamus, the video museum of Rome

REL: What brought you to the Lake Chapala area? And how long have you lived in Mexico? Did you try any other place in Mexico or country before settling there?

RK: Came here in 2001 and loved the lifestyle; moved here full time in ‘02. Acclimation was relatively easy for us. At this time there is no other place we’d rather be.

REL: Do you own or rent your home and do you feel safe in Mexico?

RK: As a wannabe artist and writer I saw a home with a humongous studio and instantly fell in love. We own our home and life is much safer here than it was in the States.

The stress of living in the States can take its toll on your health. People say that living in Chapala adds ten years to your life and we believe it. The relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle, clean air, great food, friendly people and just plain fun is bound to extend your life.

What are you waiting for?   Keep your retirement dreams alive.
Many North Americans have already made the move. 

REL: What were your fears and obstacles before making the leap to Mexico?

RK: Others told us to beware of banditos on every corner, poor water, no gas stations for miles, etc. I asked them if they had ever been to Mexico and they said, “Yes, Tijuana.”

REL: How do you fill your days in the Land of Mananas?

RK: Tennis nearly every AM, followed by an hour in the gym, lunch and some company work, dinner and then work on my next novel.

Rob taking a tennis volley, tennis courts in Cristiania Park, Chapala

REL: Living in Mexico can be advantageous to your finances. What do you average in spending annually? Does this include health insurance? Do you have health insurance? Do you feel you receive quality health care in Mexico?

RK: We’ve had Seguro Monterey for 15 years and it is really great insurance. The few times we have had hospital stays have been impressive. The care is first class. We own our cars and home so our greatest expense is health insurance. We spend about $50k US annually which includes utilities, insurance, food, and incidentals; however, we could easily live on less.

REL: Do you own stock and bonds? Can you share with us anything about how your portfolio is structured?

RK: When we moved here we boldly invested all of our funds in long-term Mexican equity bonds. They yield between 4 to 6% which is considerably more than we could have received in the US.

REL: What are your greatest passions in life?

RK: My pets, my grandchildren, my wife, my health and my kids (not necessarily in that order).

REL: What has been your biggest lesson or challenge in retirement?

RK: Finding time in the day to do everything I plan.

REL: Tell us about your greatest personal success, not necessarily finance related.

RK: Having all of my hair, teeth and faculties at 77.

REL: How do you contribute to the world?

RK: Due to my 15 minutes of fame as the founder of Razer, an interactive gaming and entertainment company, I give of my time as guest lecturer at universities and mentoring new tech entrepreneurs.

REL: You seem to be in great shape playing competitive tennis at 77 years of age. We understand that you have written a book about Senior Fitness, can you tell us a little about it? How would our readers benefit from this book? With all that you do, where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

RK: Actually 3 books; the first is called Senior War on Aging, where we maintain the new imperative is to keep moving. Our bodies and our brains depend on it. We honestly believe that if you read our book you can live longer, have more fun, love more people, and truly age well. Book 1 is on motivation, book 2 on the actual exercises seniors need, and book 3 is on nutrition. In 5 years I hope to be able to continue my mentoring, lecturing, and writing, plus maintaining my personal fitness routine.

Rob at his book signing in Mexico

REL: Can you tell us about your online business? What got you involved in this? Is this connected to your book?

RK: I have 2 book blogs; one for our fitness books and one for my works of fiction. Most of my sales come from Amazon where I write under the name of R. M. Krakoff.

REL: What is your most treasured possession?

RK: My signed copy of Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner.

REL: What is a secret fact about you?

RK: I invented the first gaming mouse.

REL: What do you like most about your life now?

RK: More healthy days than unhealthy days.

REL: How do you define success?

RK: For me success is the capacity to give something back to the world.

REL: What are you most proud of so far in life?

RK: My children.

REL: What is your greatest extravagance?

RK: A new tennis racquet every year.

REL: Who are your heroes in real life?

RK: Dr. Patsi Krakoff (not just saying that because she’s my wife).

REL: What advice would you give to someone about to embark on their retirement adventure?

RK: Use your money wisely, take care of your body and brain, look to live near people of like mind, and if you move to another country, adapt, acclimate and enjoy.

We would like to thank Rob for taking the time to answer our questions, and for opening up his life to share with all of us!

For more stories and interviews of Captivating Characters and Early Retirees, Click Here

About the Authors

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are recognized retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance, medical tourism and world travel. With the wealth of information they share on their award winning website RetireEarlyLifestyle.com, they have been helping people achieve their own retirement dreams since 1991. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible available on their website bookstore or on Amazon.com.

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