Daniel McKorley, a renowned Ghanaian businessman and Executive Chairman of the McDan Group, commonly known as McDan, has disclosed that when he speaks with many young people under the age of 40 at conferences and seminars, he does not hear laziness or a lack of ambition.
According to McDan, he hears pressure that tells him that they have failed their parents and haven’t done enough for them.
In a Facebook post, McDan wrote, “When I speak with many young people under the age of 40 at conferences and seminars, I don’t hear the laziness or lack of ambition that people accuse them of. I hear pressure. Pressure that tells them that they have failed their parents and haven’t done enough for them.
By the time many of us reach 40, a quiet realisation begins to set in. When our parents looked at us as children, they imagined that by this age, we would have built something solid, a career, a home, influence in society, and enough financial strength to support the family that once carried us. In their minds, 40 was the age when struggle should begin to fade, and responsibility would fully shift to us.
But reality has been very different for many young people.
Many men and women arrive at 40 still trying to figure life out. Some are battling unstable careers, some are still struggling financially, some are fixing mistakes made in their 20s/30s, and some are simply exhausted from carrying responsibilities that never seem to end.
The world has turned out to be far more complicated than the one our parents prepared us for.
In many African homes, there is an unspoken expectation: By 40, you are supposed to be the pillar of the family. The person younger siblings look up to. The one parents can depend on. The one who has “made it”. But instead, many people are still trying to stand firmly on their own feet.
Part of this is not entirely young people’s fault. Our parents grew up in a different economic reality. In their time, a single stable job could build a house, raise children, support extended family, and secure retirement. Today, that same formula doesn’t work. Inflation is brutal, job opportunities are scarce, salaries are low, and entire industries are constantly changing.
Yet, the guilt remains.
You watch your parents get older, and you wish you could do more for them. You wish you could ease their worries, comfort them, and show them that their years of sacrifice have truly produced something meaningful.
But the story does not end at 40.
40 is often the age when life becomes clearer. The illusions of youth fade, the mistakes of the past become lessons, and the urgency of time becomes real. It is the age when many people finally develop the focus, discipline, and perspective needed to build something meaningful.
So, the real failure is not arriving at 40, still figuring life out. The real failure would be giving up before or at 40.
The greatest thing you can still do for yourself and your parents is not to regret the past, but to use the clarity of this age to build a future that honours the sacrifices they made for you”.
Meanwhile, McDan, in a separate interview, has warned Ghanaian youths that marriage without money can derail them.
According to McDan, one must not marry if they don’t have money.
McDan further revealed that he was afraid of marriage because of ‘chop money’
Speaking at the 2025 edition of PCH Hangouts at the ICGC The New Wine Temple, East Legon, McDan stated, “If you don’t have money, don’t marry. Marriage without money can derail you”.
“I couldn’t marry early because I was afraid of ‘chop money.’ I grew up in an environment where you could see a man physically abusing a woman because of money, and a woman verbally abusing a man because of money.
“So, the institution of marriage was scary for me,” he confessed.
The business mogul further advised Ghanaian youths who sleep more than eight hours a day to start sleeping for four hours.
He noted that young adults need to practice discipline, courage, and personal sacrifice to achieve success.
According to McDan, Ghanaian youths must cut back on sleep to invest more time in self-improvement and service to others.
McDan stated, “If you sleep eight hours a day, start sleeping four hours. Add the extra two hours in serving somebody. There’s a lot of benefit in service. So, start with yourself”.
McDan further noted that many Ghanaian youth are intelligent and full of potential, but often lack the discipline and “finishing power” to make their dreams a reality.
He added, “It’s not money. The finishing power. If you ask me to stop everything and focus on one thing, focus on yourself”.
“Discipline is what the Ghanaian youth need, discipline and a bit of courage. We have smart youth in this country, but they need a bit of discipline and a bit of courage”.
See the post below:
