Michael Dobbs-Higginson enrolled in one of the oldest Zen Buddhist monasteries in Japan and was ordained a lay monk in his early 20s. He also became a black-belt in the stick-fighting discipline, kendo. After studying medicine in Dublin, logging in Canada, and teaching surfing in Hawaii, he moved back to Japan, where he set up several businesses before being chased out of the country by unscrupulous CIA operatives. He then became an investment banker and has invested in a number of start-up business ventures. He is currently developing electric vehicles and drones for the Far East and an e-commerce platform for Africa.