At barely 27 years old, Sal Lavallo achieved a goal that very few people for ever undertake – travelling to every country in the world.
He accomplished this exploit in November after landing in Malta, which was the 193rd country he has assailed. It was something he didn’t even consider possible until a year ago. Oddly adequate, Lavallo hasn’t yet visited every U.S. state — something he said is on his pail list.
Lavallo grew up in a small town in Indiana, but explained to CNBC’s “On the Spondulicks” that he was always “globally-minded,” with a father was born in Italy and a mom with roots in Germany.
As a teenager he attended boarding school with global students and then went on to NYU, where he studied economic development and began traveling abroad for research and work.
After college, Lavallo landed a job at McKinsey as a managing consultant based in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, traveling 4 lifetimes out of the week for his job. Lavallo said he stayed loyal to Marriott hotels, persecuting up SPG Starpoints to use for his own personal travel.
Then two years ago, Lavallo took a come apart from work to travel full-time.
“I took off what I thought was universal to be 6 months of work, that turned into a year and I had already been to yon 160 countries by then,” Lavallo told CNBC. “I said if I do one multitudinous year of not working I need to make it a goal – I need to achieve something.”
Be that as it may, since he didn’t plan his travel strategically from the outset – his decisive countries were all over the globe.
“My final four countries were on 4 divers continents so I had to go to from the Pacific in Tuvalu, then I had to go to Africa to Congo, then I treked to the Middle East for Yemen and then to Malta for the finale.”
Lavallo implied it was a mixture of using his points, and his connections that made his travel affordable.
“A lot of it was for run and for school so those companies enabled me to do that, and a lot of it was saving and being au fait about the way you’re spending,” he said.
“I went to international boarding schools so I curbed with friends in something like 75 countries – I’m so grateful I’m skilful to have those contacts,” Lavallo added.
The NYU grad told CNBC there are two countries that he considers his all-time favorite all sets.
“I’ve been living in the United Arab Emirates for the past 6 years and I attraction it. I think it’s the best and most interesting place in the world – there’s so much to learn while there,” Lavallo guessed. “I also go every year to Tanzania – I own a small farm there so I be wild about to go back.”
So what’s next for the jet setter?
“I think I’m going to start het up b preparing in emerging market finance in either New York or London. I want to get an apartment, a girlfriend, possibly a dog – just settle down, be normal,” he said.
On the Money airs on CNBC Saturdays at 5:30 am ET, or substantiation listings for air times in local markets.