My first million: Marc Koska OBE, beach bum made good

Marc Koska of Stay Syringe tells MoneyWeek's Jody Clarke how his ethical vision for a disposable syringe helped him to make his first million.

At 23 years of age, Marc Koska was living an idyllic lifestyle as a self-confessed beach bum', sailing yachts around the Caribbean and generally having a good time. And although he had always thought he was destined to do something big, it took a trip back to the UK in 1984 to tell him what that something would be.

"I saw an article in The Guardian predicting the transmission of HIV through the re-use of syringes. And I thought, that's what I've been waiting for!" Doctors were re-using syringes, and people were being infected with wholly preventable diseases by people in which they had enormous faith. "It was a nightmare situation." So there and then he designed and put together a disposable syringe, which would automatically disable after its first use. Fast-forward 17 years from that seminal moment in May 1984, and Koska sold his first syringe after which there was no stopping him: he's since sold 700 million.

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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.