We Are Destined to Live in Very Interesting Times.

Humanity has rarely been at such a critical and fateful crossroads throughout history. The choices we make — or avoid making — today will shape our children's future and perhaps determine whether our civilization continues to exist. It's not just me — billions worldwide are stunned by the strange decisions made by the world's major political players, whose arrogance is starting to resemble recklessness.

Let me share three short stories with you.

2001

I lived in Hong Kong, where I laid the foundations for my web hosting company. Most of my clients were in the United States. One afternoon — around midnight on the East Coast — I received an urgent ICQ message. It was from Betty Sue in Florida, one of the thousands of clients I had helped with technical issues, who had added me to ICQ for convenience. This time, the message said:

"dimitar are you there i need help please call police 850-233-5000 someone is breaking my door with an axe X Prudence Lane phone line is cut i only have cable internet please dimitar help"

I immediately picked up the phone and dialled the number in Panama City Beach, U.S. An operator answered. I explained what was happening and, at the same time, wrote to Betty Sue to tell her help was on the way. The operator asked where I was calling from. I said I was in Hong Kong, but Betty had contacted me online. She asked me to stay on the line while she coordinated with patrol units over the radio.
She also asked whether I was still in contact with Betty. But Betty was no longer replying. Two agonizing minutes passed, and I only hoped they would arrive in time.
Then I heard a male voice on the radio reporting that they had found a man with an axe at the door, who had already broken it down but they subdued him. They suspected he was under the influence or in a psychotic episode because he had refused to surrender and acted aggressively.
The dispatcher thanked me for my help and ended the call.
Betty Sue didn't respond for nearly an hour. Eventually, she wrote that she had been busy giving testimony, that it was finally over, and that I had saved her life. She said, "God bless you," and offered to do anything in return if needed.

2011

I was hiring a housekeeper for my estate in Bulgaria. I had posted a job listing, talked to candidates, and been in touch with an American woman—let's call her Jane. She liked my conditions but was torn between my offer and one from a family in Izmir, Turkey, where she would be a nanny for two children. Ultimately, she chose Turkey, and I found someone else.
About a month later, well past midnight, I received a message from Jane asking if the position was still open. I sensed something was wrong and asked if she was okay. She described a terrible situation: as soon as she arrived in Izmir, her employers took her passport and told her she would receive $100 monthly. She would be expected to teach their kids English, clean, cook, wash, iron — everything, seven days a week.
I didn't tell her that the job had already been filled. I told her she could come to Bulgaria.
She said she'd love to but needed three months to save for a plane ticket. I asked how much it cost. Three hundred dollars, she said. I told her I'd buy the ticket. She said there was a flight in a few hours. She was afraid to speak to her employers, worried how they might react. I advised her to lie—to say that a family member had passed away and that she needed to leave immediately.
That worked. Jane landed in Sofia that afternoon.
I hosted her and gave her time to look for work in Europe. Once she secured a position in the Netherlands, I bought her ticket, and she left.

2023

On Monday, September 4th, Cave Rescue Bulgaria contacted me with an urgent request. Their colleague, American caver Mark Dickey, was seriously ill at a significant depth inside a cave in southern Türkiye. Some of our cave rescuers were among the first to explore that section of Morca Cave where he had become stranded. They didn't ask for much—just transportation or fuel money, at the very least.
My first thought was to drive them myself using a pickup truck from our fire response team—the vehicle is equipped with a satellite internet terminal that provides high-speed internet even while in motion. I entered the cave's location into the GPS and saw it would take nearly 16 hours to get there. That wouldn't be fast enough.
I immediately contacted a charter air medical company and arranged a private flight. I told the cavers that five needed to head to Sofia Airport immediately — the plane would be waiting to fly them to the closest airport near the cave.
The Morca rescue operation is a landmark in cave rescue history. Teams from Bulgaria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, and Croatia were involved. All of them, except the Bulgarian team, travelled with military aircraft provided by their governments.

So, here's the deal, folks:

Y'all owe me a gallon of Gulf oil for the girl,
one pound of Minnesota iron for the caveman,
and a gold nugget for Betty Sue.
No pay, no rescue next time.
And I insist you thank me!

How does it sound to you? Ugly, right?

We are mortal beings, and if anything remains of us after we're gone — if we get remembered — it won't be the balance of our bank accounts or our position in the Forbes 400.

It will be what we gave to the world, not what we took from it.
I've also helped—and continue to support—many Ukrainians, but the last thing on my mind is to expect anything in return, especially now.

Most American citizens share the same values I do.
And in this challenging moment for the world, the nation that claims to be the greatest power — the guardian of freedom and democracy — has the chance to prove that claim.