I grew up on a crime-riddled council estate and told I’d amount to nothing… now I’m a lawyer with a £200k Lamborghini
A TIKTOK lawyer who flaunts his wealth online has revealed he was kicked out of school and told he would amount to nothing.
Father-of-four Akhmed Yakoob, 35, left school aged 15 after growing up on a council estate in a crime-riddled Birmingham suburb.
He told The SunOnline: “My parents always told me I couldn’t do it. They didn’t want to me to go to university because they told me I’d fail. It made me want it even more.”
The social media influencer, who posts videos about his criminal clients to his 106,000 TikTok following, now flaunts his wealth online.
He owns two Lamborghinis, a Mercedes Benz G-Class, a Ferraro F8 and is in the process of buying a Rolls Royce.
He says his car collection is worth £1million.
Mr Yakoob bought out his boss at Maurice Andrews Solicitors for £150,000 aged just 28.
And he used TikTok to double his clients, becoming the “go to” criminal defence lawyer in the midlands, he claims.
But he didn’t have the best start in life.
He was kicked out of school in Year 10, passed his exams but went on to fail college.
He said: “I grew up in a crime populated area, Aston in Birmingham. Everyone around me was into crime. I was one of two of my friends that went to university. No one wanted to go.
“I was a naughty kid. I didn’t like school. It teaches children to pass exams, not how to be rich. I bought revision books online after I was kicked out and used them to pass without needing classes.”
Eventually Mr Yakoob got into Wolverhampton for his Bachelor of Laws degree, where he got a 2:2.
“I scraped through,” he added. “Then I had to borrow money from two friends to get the £9k for a legal practice course. I worked for free at a local firm and then got a job at Maurice Andrews Solicitors.”
Mr Yakoob said his boss told him he couldn’t speak English properly and would never amount to anything.
He added: “People told me I couldn’t do it. That was my main drive.
“My boss told me I was good for nothing. I had to prove everyone wrong and I’ve done that now.”
During one heated row Mr Yakoob told his boss he would be the owner of the most successful law firm in Birmingham one day.
He added: “I was 28 when I decided to buy the firm. I was a father at that point and wanted to do well for my family.
“I wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t have a pleasant experience working under someone. I was told I was useless and I challenged that man.
“I told him give me a few years and I will have the busiest firm in the whole of Birmingham.
“He said I wouldn’t because I can’t speak English properly. I told him to give me a few years and I’d show him. That was my drive too. I’d just said some big words and I didn’t want to be wrong.
“I had to get something done in case I ran into this guy in a few years and he told me I was all talk.”
Mr Yakoob said the two years he spent at the firm were the hardest of his life.
He took home his frustration and found it difficult not being able to afford to buy his son toys.
Now he has four sons, 14, 12, 10 and 5 years old.
He added: “Being a family man is pressure. When my eldest was younger I didn’t want to go out with him in case he wanted me to buy him something and I couldn’t get it for him.
“My youngest ones are okay. But that was one of my main drives. I had responsibilities. I was taking the frustration out on my family.
“Those couple of years were really hard. I had to go through that to get to where I am today. Everyone has a story behind them. No one has had it easy.”
After borrowing money from the bank Mr Yakoob bought out the firm six years ago.
Now, he uses TikTok to spread the word and doubled his clients after going viral.
His videos feature his clients, who need defence after being accused of a crime.
He said: “I started TikTok in August 2020. It’s helped my brand. I’m well known now. Whereever I go people know me.
“I’m becoming the first point of contact in the midlands. People when they’re in trouble they know me, they know to get in touch for help.”
He said during lockdown people used TikTok to “clown around” but he wanted to “talk sense”.
He added: “I’ve done murder cases, drug cases, fraud cases. Most of the cases I’ve worked on I bring the client into the office and make videos with him. If they allow me to make the video I’ll do it.”
Mr Yakoob says his advice for success is to get away from the 9-5 and be your own boss as soon as possible, and be kind to everyone.
He added: “My advice is if someone tells you you can’t do something you do it twice and show them. Be nice to everyone.
“You’re not better than anyone but at the same time no one is better than you. Treat everyone equally. I don’t want my staff to be treated the way I was.”
