My first million: how the Lonely Planet took over the world

When Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler and his new wife set off on their travels in 1972, they were unknowningly taking their first steps to a publishing phenomenon.

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"I had just finished my MBA at London Business School and we wanted to get travel out of our systems before we settled down into real jobs'," says Wheeler. He didn't know it yet, but he never would take on that real' job. By the time they got to Australia, they found that people were fascinated by their trip and wanted to know more. So, sitting down at their kitchen table, they hand-collated, trimmed and stapled a book on their experiences, publishing it themselves. The result was Across Asia on the Cheap. It was to be the first Lonely Planet guidebook. An instant local bestseller, 8,000 copies were bought in three months in Australia and New Zealand.

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Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.