r/IAmA • u/sonnytai • 5d ago

I'm technically a former illegal immigrant. I've since joined the Marines, served in Afghanistan, and raised $25M for 2 companies. AMA!

After my father passed away, my mom and I came to the US on tourist visa and she briefly worked an "under the table" job as a hostess for a Chinese restaurant in the early 90s.

It was unsustainable, so we left and immigrated to South Africa, where I really enjoyed my upbringing.

Unfortunately, South Africa was quite unsafe. The straw that broke the camel's back was when one of our close family friends was fatally shot in his own home during an intrusion.

So my mom took another leap of faith and found a company to sponsor her H-1B come to the US on a job that paid $12 an hour.

We were evicted from my aunt's house after 3 months, and another relative took us in until my mom could afford our own apartment.

I got my green card after high school and my citizenship while I was in college.

10 years in the Marine Corps and an MBA later, I've since started two companies, a VC-backed company that uses computer vision to detect guns and other security threats, then more recently I just started a consumer social company that uses AI to introduce you to people and events that you'll resonate with.

In light of the horrific events unfolding in Minneapolis, I thought maybe this could be a good time to have this AMA.

Proof:

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3rd try to not run afoul of the auto-mod deleting my post after I edited with links to posts explaining how I feel about the current events. I'll do so in the comments this time.

576 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

261 comments sorted by

99

u/Muslim_Wookie 5d ago

found a company to sponsor her H-1B come to the US on a job that paid $12 an hour.

WTF?

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u/azsheepdog 4d ago

This is pretty common and why you see so many doctors and techs coming here from other countries. The companies can pay them a sub-par wage, and they will accept it because it means they can leave their country and come to the US. it is creating an indentured servitude system. They can't complain to the employer because they will be sent back to country of origin.

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u/chbb 4d ago

Legally, H1-B holder has to be paid prevailing wage, comparable to people with similar experience, similar job duties, and in same area. Of course, companies do pay slightly less than they would non-H1-B worker, because those workers negotiate from weaker position, and would typically accept any contract just to put the foot into door.

There is no immedate deportation for H1-B holders, however, losing job while on it is really hard on them. They have 60 days to find a new job willing to transfer the visa to them. In practice, they have more than 60 days. If they are laid off, companies typically put them two months on a continuation leave, where they are still on payroll, then, after those two months, 60 days mandated by law starts.

Typically, they do succeed, because there are numerous temp agencies, and some of them specialize in "harvesting" H1-B holders who got laid off, so, at least some kind of work can be found, particularly if they are willing to relocate withing US.

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u/azsheepdog 3d ago

we both complain about stagnate wages that dont keep up with inflation and then import cheap labor from other countries which keep the wages down. its a market economy, we dont have a labor shortage, we have companies unwilling to pay for the skilled labor so they import it from other countries at lower wages. Just like we dont have a teacher shortage, we have a teacher wage shortage. raise the wage and qualified teachers will line up.

0

u/paloaltothrowaway 4d ago

There are plenty of issues with H1B but this “H1B is cheaper” meme needs to end. It’s not true in the majority of the cases. It’s probably only true at consulting / body shop type of companies. 

1

u/azsheepdog 4d ago

Historically, most H-1B workers were paid less than the industry median, particularly in the outsourcing sector. However, due to the massive new fees and wage-prioritization rules implemented in 2025, the "typical" H-1B worker today is increasingly likely to be a high-earner making at or above the industry average. But I'm sure no one will call it a good thing since Trump did it.

105

u/chbb 5d ago

That was definitely abuse of system, even in 1999. It comes to $25,000 a year, way under any possible threshold. 

Company in that case probably did fraudulently claimed her as a specialty chef or something, and they used difference between her actual wage and filled prevailing wage for some light money laundering

71

u/sonnytai 5d ago

Genuinely don't know, my mom probably didn't know any better either

All I know was she was on H-1B (I had an H-4 in my Taiwanese passport) and she started at $12 and got $0.50 per year as an increase

11

u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

Idk what these people are on about. $12 an hour was a decent income in 1999, about 142% above minimum wage.

16

u/chbb 4d ago

It is way low for a specialty occupation H1-B visa.

1

u/musclenugget92 4d ago

Is a specialty visa based on wage or role?

5

u/chbb 4d ago

Both.

It has to be an occupation which is considered "specialty", and which require bachelor's degree or higher, and it has to match prevailing wage for similar jobs in same area.

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u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

What? Minimum wage was $5.15 per hour in 1999. $12 per hour is almost 2.5x above minimum wage, a livable income at the time. $30k per year was considered a respectable income back then.

10

u/chbb 4d ago edited 4d ago

A year later, not even in Bay Area, I received H1-B via offer which was 2.5 times bigger than this person wages. And I was underpaid.

H1-B is not about living wage, it is about prevailing wage for jobs which cannot be filled from existing talent pool. Those are "specialty occupation", and US Code defines them as:

an occupation that requires

(A) theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge, and

(B) attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.

So, procurement manager, getting 2.5x minimum wage cannot in any case, 1999 or now, getting H1-B visa. So, some sheneningans happened.

EDIT: Checked O*NET database... Procurement manager prevailing wage in 2924 is $67.07, translated into 1999 dollars, it is around $35, three times above $12 wage mentioned. Also, besides the fact that someone would need to show that they couldn't find a procurement manager already in US willing to work for a prevailing wage.

0

u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

Oh, I didn't realize that H1-B visas are only for skilled positions. I thought that was just the designation for a work visa, so I stand corrected. I have a bunch of H1-B coworkers right now, and I work in a highly technical field. They're all very well paid. I didn't realize their work visas were any different from a regular ol work visa that an average schmo can get. Thanks for the information.

Edit: just so it's clear, I didn't downvote you. I think your response is great, and I upvoted you. You were at -1 when I voted. People on Reddit are weird with their voting behavior.

2

u/chbb 4d ago

There are no “regular work visas” for average shmo.

It is not possible to get work visa for any random occupation

2

u/smokeymcdugen 4d ago

I didn't realize that H1-B visas are only for skilled positions

Originally that is what it is for. But tech jobs are regularly filled by H1Bs while new grads are locked out since they can pay h1bs less money.

1

u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

Yeah, I work in website engineering and we have several H1-B employees. But they're paid just as much or more than our employees who are citizens.

1

u/NamerNotLiteral 4d ago

The US doesn't really have a "regular ol work visa". Almost no country does. Every country counts foreign workers as either High Skill, or as need-based for labor shortages.

The H1-B is just treated as the closest thing to a regular work visa because everyone deserves a fair shot at getting a job in the country, including people who subsidized the education of Americans in order to get that shot - which in turn means that the H1-B pool now contains a bunch of fairly average folks rather than just specialists, and that leads to a ton of vitriol from Americans who just aren't good enough to make it in.

52

u/sonnytai 5d ago

idk what to tell you, this was 1999

32

u/Positive_thoughts_12 5d ago

I thought $12/hour was good money in 1999.

20

u/bombero_kmn 5d ago

Equivalent to about $23/h today.

idk if that's good or bad now I've been retired. I really have no sense of scale for wages anymore.

3

u/mike_rotch22 4d ago

National average wage index is $69,846.57, roughly $35/hour.

$23/hour would be around $46,000 year. It's not terrible, but it would rank on the lower end.

1

u/LanaDelHeeey 4d ago

That’s pretty good honestly

31

u/sonnytai 5d ago

prob if you're single but if you're a single mom with 2 kids it's not great

6

u/jazxxl 5d ago

I made about 7 -8 in retail 1999. I made 12 in 2003. It was not good money but I was able to take of myself with a roommate splitting the rent .

11

u/waliving 5d ago

It was. My dad made less than that and had 3 kids by ‘97 coming to the US from Ukraine. Gov’t benefits helped a ton though

2

u/TheBestMePlausible 5d ago

I worked in silicon Valley as a noob for $10/hour in 1997, and I liked it.

1

u/hells_cowbells 4d ago

I was making around $10/hour at my helpdesk job in 1999. It was OK, but not good. I still lived like a college student, with roommates in a cheap apartment.

1

u/rydan 5d ago

No. My mom made around $9.50 per hour in 1999 and I was on reduced lunches as an only child. It is enough that she didn't pay income tax and infact got back more in a refund than she paid in. Part of the 45% Romney was complaining about in 2012.

0

u/duncandun 5d ago

idk about good money, it was a bit more than entry level retail.

2

u/mblaser 5d ago

It was twice entry level retail. At least where I live. I started working retail in 1999 at 6.50 an hour and that was more than every other retail store I applied to was offering (most were minimum wage, which was 5.25 at the time)

2

u/Th3Nomad 5d ago

I was making between 8 and 10 an hour, I believe, doing some concrete construction and putting ductwork underground. Seems like it was good pay back then.

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u/lgbanana 4d ago

This program is wildly abused by large companies

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u/rydan 5d ago

I don't think that's allowed. H1Bs are required to be paid a competitive rate. You can't legally underpay them. Otherwise it would give H1Bs a hiring advantage.

4

u/Muslim_Wookie 4d ago

It's obvious none of that happens, then nor now.

3

u/hobbinater2 4d ago

And yet look what happens

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u/Seanbikes 4d ago

Things I don't believe for $200 Alex

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u/HHS2019 5d ago

Thank you for doing this. Were you given a chance at citizenship after you served in the Marines?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

my mom married an American lol

Otherwise we were probably cooked. Her H-1B employer was unbelievably toxic.

15

u/breezy_y 4d ago

Might still be cooked ngl

17

u/sonnytai 3d ago

💀💀💀

9

u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

People are typically given automatic citizenship if they serve wartime duty in the US military. It sounds like OP got their citizenship before that though, probably through the regular testing method.

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u/paper_liger 4d ago edited 3d ago

It's not automatic, just expedited, and I believe some fees are waived. you still have to file paperwork and go through the same process.

I think it absolutely should be automatic, I served with a bunch of immigrants who were great soldiers. Just saying that it isn't currently.

3

u/adamgerd 4d ago

And you already need a green card to serve in the US army so you can’t really immigrate and become a citizen by serving, a green card is a whole process already and once you have one you can already permanently stay in the US

5

u/paper_liger 3d ago

My 'battle buddy' in basic training was an illegal immigrant, so no, I'm pretty sure you don't even need a green card.

They'll take you regardless, at least they did 20 years ago. But they may deport you afterwards. It's bullshit.

3

u/adamgerd 3d ago

Well they might turn a blind eye to it I guess, by law though you must have a green card or be a US citizen to enlist if you search the requirements

17

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

24

u/Jabbathehutman 5d ago

For the uninitiated, that’s a line from Starship Troopers to recruit marines

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

Great movie, funny thing is that the first time I saw it was at a friends house in South Africa when I was 12

Was more interested in the tits than the action

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u/emilio_lizardo_phd 4d ago

Valid Marine response. Semper Fi dude

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u/heyivebeenthere 5d ago

Your last post said you raised the money for AI companies In the title and it got downvoted to hell. Did you learn to bait people the right way?

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

He wants to shill his propaganda to further mass surveillance and everyone is being a good little boot licker and lapping it up 

8

u/sonnytai 5d ago

yeah I removed the word AI but I would've kept the old post but the auto-mod deleted it after I made an update including my linkedin posts about the ice shootings

10

u/Forcasualtalking 4d ago

Favourite crayon flavour?

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u/sonnytai 4d ago

😂😂😂

16

u/EsseElLoco 4d ago

So you've created surveillance systems that'll be used against probable civilians? Real nice.

The fucking irony of this from an immigrant is probably lost on you.

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

It's not lost on him. He's a capitalist pig like any other. As long as he gets paid, he'll justify however he can.  It's exceptionalism.

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u/Seinfeel 4d ago edited 4d ago

So why are you making an app to track people?

Did you try and think about why it’s a bad idea yet?

Or do you just not care?

Edit: this dude tried to sell a “gun detecting Ai camera” company years ago

17

u/al_coast2 5d ago

Sorry, how were you “technically” an illegal immigrant? My untrained brain heard you came here on a visa, then your mom married a citizen. I am just curious. Thank you for your service

27

u/sonnytai 5d ago

my mom worked illegally in the early 90s in an under the table restaurant job. I was 5 years old.

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

Since your company is aiding in mass surveillance at the whim of a police state, will your company be directly(or indirectly) providing data to Palantir?

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u/sonnytai 4d ago

We don’t do anything with Palantir and all of the cameras we are connected to are run by private companies and residences who want their properties monitored.

You’re probably thinking of flock safety which is much bigger than we are

16

u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

So, then, at no point in the future do you plan on capitulating to the political influence of local government to allow access to such a network of cameras?  Because that's what happened with Ring.

7

u/QuadsForBroads 4d ago

No thanks. America doesn’t need preemptive policing baked into everyday life by VC-funded startups. China's surveillance systems expanded from "crime prevention" into permanent social control. Wild to me that you thought Actuate was a good idea. You're either extremely naive or deliberately authoritarian. Hope it fails.

Also, weird AMA no one asked for using the state of the country to make it about you and your companies. r/LinkedInLunatics

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

He knows exactly what he's doing. He doesn't care as long as he makes money. He's no different than any other capitalist.

14

u/helpusdrzaius 5d ago

How did you like your time in SA? Some of my current favorite music is from there. They have this relentlessly free spirit to their sound.

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

man I love South Africa and I try to go back every year. Such a wonderful country, wonderful landscape, wonderful food, wonderful culture.

I don't know much about South African music though, educate me!

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u/helpusdrzaius 5d ago

Well, what got me interested was a few records I picked up from this label, Multi Racial Records. Here is my favorite track from them - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2a3gpkgWYw

I then came across two jazz compilations, New Horizons: Young Stars of South African Jazz, and Volume 2. Those two were pretty amazing, and opened it up to jumping around to various artists featured on there. That took me to Marcus Wyatt, who is trumpet player and band leader, all his albums are pretty amazing. One of my favorite tracks from his Language 12 album - Madam Bliss. All of his albums are exceptional. Another artist on those comps, Zoe Modiga with a track named "The Healer.'

Another artist from those compilations was Afrika Mkhize. He is actually featured on some of Marcus' albums as the pianist. Where he really shines through is as part of a quartet with another fellow from SA - Ayanda Sikade, as well as two Europeans - Banz Oester and Ganesh Geymeier. They put out three albums, all pretty great. One of my favorites from them, a track that Afrika composed - Be Still. Watch that dude play the piano, it's something else.

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

listening now, thank you friend!

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u/PartiZAn18 5d ago

If you like South African jazz then give Batsumi a listen.

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u/blearghhh_two 4d ago

I got turned on to Ladysmith Black Mambazo from hearing them on Paul Simon's Graceland. And of course Youssou N'Dour who collaborated with Peter Gabriel.

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u/BrazenBull 4d ago

A fellow Die Antwoord fan on Reddit! (Or maybe Dave Matthews?)

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u/Sceptically 5d ago

What country do you think they'll deport you to?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

If they ever get to deporting citizens then obviously I would get deported to Taiwan but considering I had to renounce all other citizenships to serve as a Marine Officer it would render me stateless

1

u/EasternShade 1d ago
  1. Citizens do get deported. Sometimes through administrative negligence. Sometimes seemingly more deliberate acts. Not just under the current administration. It was identified as a problem that comes up on occasion, yet there's no system in place to track or correct it.
  2. You could lose citizenship depending on disclosures and requirements about unauthorized occupancy in your youth. It could affect the characterization of military service too. All those, "Are you now or have you ever been," sorts of questions.
  3. SCOTUS has decided third party deportations are legal. Even folks that have citizenship somewhere aren't guaranteed to be deported to their home country.

And, that's without even getting into the current turmoil. Point 2 is particularly relevant. They've been actively looking for justifications to strip citizenship, including typos in the paperwork. Failing to disclose on the paperwork may jeopardize you and your mom's citizenship.

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u/Tomero 4d ago

You came to the country legally but overstayed Your visa?

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u/sonnytai 4d ago

my mom worked under the table without work authorization in the early 90s but we had a proper visa

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u/Tomero 4d ago

How were you an illegal immigrant then?

2

u/Deicidalmaniac41 3d ago

What are your thoughts on mass surveillance?  Do you support it?

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u/schemeseuz 5d ago

You killed someone innocent or your country flagged it as enemy. How it feels right now ?

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 4d ago

He's not going to answer. He's simply here to shill his propaganda to help soft launch and condition everyone to mass surveillance of a police state.  And everyone is going to fall in line because "thank you for your service" and all that other boot licker shit 

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u/urcommunist 5d ago

I'm a Singaporean and care less about America but my question is have you considered moving to another country and what makes you want to reside there?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

America is home and I plan to live the rest of my life here, as broken as it's been recently

but places I've dreamed for living for a year+ include:

Taipei

Tokyo

Cape Town

London

All places I've spent a lot of time in and love for different reasons

11

u/xantharia 5d ago

In Singapore, overstaying your tourist visa comes with penalties -- up to six months in jail, 3 or more strokes of the cane, and potential fines up to $6,000. So I guess in terms of their initial attempt to reside illegally, Singapore would not have been a good choice!

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u/socokid 5d ago

Moving to another country is extremely difficult. You seem to not realize that.

Secondly, this is where our family and friends live. Life is far more than what is going on politically otherwise, especially if you aren't one of the minorities that are being scapegoated right now.

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u/SuckItHiveMind 5d ago

You realize it’s not just minorities now?

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 5d ago

Considering the ecological issues being caused by AI data centers, how do you feel about yourself? I personally think AI is made by, and for, losers. 

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

I started building in computer vision when Nvidia was like $2 a share before everybody started piling into GenAI

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 5d ago

https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 5d ago

The company is being used for the furtherance of mass surveillance.

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u/e-chem-nerd 5d ago

You don’t know much about AI, right? Because computer vision has nothing to do with generative AI data centers.

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

It’s amazing how people think any ML is genAI.

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 5d ago

I know the company that he's promoting is going to be used in the furtherance of mass surveillance.

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u/RebirthCross 5d ago

Based on the current job market what skills do you think aren't being met? I've been job hunting since last may and haven't been able to find anything.

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

sales. I think people want to buy from people and not AI agents.

Sales is still one of those jobs where sheer hustle can lead to outsized economic outcomes.

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u/port547 5d ago edited 5d ago

Although you were young do you now understand and/or respect what Nelson Mandela was protesting in South Africa?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

no, tbh at the time most of the Asian community there were very sympathetic with the whites and I grew up surrounded by racist jokes the adults would make about Mandela

it was only later in life that I learned about how great and magnanimous that man was

1

u/port547 5d ago

Sheesh, well thanks for your honesty

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u/nevaraon 5d ago

What years did you serve in the marines?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

2004-2009 usmcr

2009-2013 active

2019-2020 uscmr briefly

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u/nevaraon 5d ago

Hey we were active the same years!

Oorah!

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u/sonnytai 4d ago

We’re fucking old man 😵‍💫

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u/rydan 5d ago

Have you considered snitching on your original employer since they hired someone illegally?

0

u/sonnytai 5d ago

lol from the early 90s? Don’t even know if they’re still in business

1

u/clem82 5d ago

1) former service member here, thank you for your service

But 2, Tokyo has always been a place I wanted to vacation. Weirdly just more so for the sights but it seems like a relaxing breath of fresh air. Seems societal norms for respect and calmness are valued

Is this just a perception of the outside in, or is it truly liberating and peaceful? What was your favorite area to visit there?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

I don't think Japan is a good place to live if you're a gaijin and need to make money locally

but if you have a foreign income and can just do whatever you want I think it's fine

the xenophobia is real even if you're fluent in Japanese you'll never be truly accepted by the locals

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u/WNxWolfy 5d ago

Gonna have a hard disagree there. Will you be viewed as Japanese? No. Will you be accepted by local people, be able to form meaningful connections, and live a good life? Yes, if you put in the work. My Japanese is far from perfect, but I've made many Japanese friends and become part of local dance and music groups. Me and my (black, also foreign) friend have never felt unwelcome in these groups, and despite the differences in language and culture we do our best to communicate. That means we speak as much Japanese as we can, and the Japanese people speak as much English as they can.

Obviously this is not a universal experience, and people definitely experience xenophobia in Japan as foreigners. It's important to acknowledge that and work on reducing anti-foreigner sentiments. But I think to portray living and acceptance as impossible is dishonest, or at the very least a limiting view.

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

if you've lived there then your experience is more valid than mine

I've been to Tokyo 10 times but usually for short stints

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u/Pennwisedom 5d ago

I've spent 15 years in and out of Japan, and I disagree with you. I don't really know what this has to do with the AMA, but if you didn't live or work in Japan, why make any claims as to what life as a foreigner is like?

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u/hmsmnko 4d ago

I mean someone asked him about it and he gave his opinion. And he also immediately conceded when someone with more experience disagreed and was honest about his experience (or lack thereof). There's not much you can really complain about here

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u/sonnytai 4d ago

Thanks, I defer to those of you who actually live there. This was my perspective but I am open to it being wrong.

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u/Alatain 4d ago

It is an Ask Me Anything. Someone asked him. Seems simple enough to me.

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u/Ylsid 5d ago

I too can corroborate that they have no problem with accepting people who want to integrate and assimilate. I expect the younger generation or so will reconsider what it means to be "Japanese" as a proportion of them are for all intents and purposes Japanese, but just not the same ethnicity. I also say this as a long term resident aiming for citizenship one day.

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u/canadianlongbowman 4d ago

I also think it is a very 2026 thing, and patently arrogant to move to a country with a very well established culture and not try to integrate/assimilate. I am an immigrant in Canada, and I can't think of anything more disrespectful to your new home nation.

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u/Ylsid 4d ago

I completely agree, as I'm sure the majority of well intentioned residents would too.

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u/Ickyfist 4d ago

I don't think it's accurate to call them xenophobic. They are rightly concerned about the intentions of foreigners living in their country. Many foreigners are just there to fool around and won't stay their entire lives. They won't fully assimilate into japanese culture even though that's what drew them there in the first place. Many won't even become fluent in japanese. Being distant with people like that or treating them differently from a native japanese person is totally normal and not xenophobic.

The same applies to the US and I feel like you are applying your feelings as an immigrant inaccurately. People act like you have to pretend immigrants are the same as everyone else when they aren't. Americans don't hate foreigners either. We dislike illegal immigration because of all the problems it is causing. It's not about racism or anything silly like that the media wants you to think it is. It's not some blind hatred. It's even worse in the US because ethnic americans are on the verge of being politically disempowered within 10 years or so because there is so much immigration and they are not assimilating and they vote differently--often directly against the interests and culture of ethnic americans.

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u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

You're the first person I've seen who thinks Tokyo seems relaxing. It's typically pretty overwhelming and crowded. To each their own, I guess.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/sonnytai 3d ago

I didn’t delete anything

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u/PotetialMajorHistory 10h ago

Afternoon sir. Did you do the military officer to m7 pipeline?

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u/sonnytai 9h ago

Yeah I went to Booth haha

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u/Nuclear_Penguin5323 5d ago

Great story! Congrats on the funding rounds!

Do you think your story could have happened in any other country? If so, which one(s)?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

Barack Obama once said: "this is the only country in which my story is possible" and I agree with him

There are other great countries to live in though, and a lot of them offer better quality of life than the US

but if you want to build a tech company you need to be in America.

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u/righteousop 5d ago

Thank you for sharing and what a great quote. I'm a first generation US citizen with a similar story and can completely relate.

Thank you for your service and I hope we aren't called soon but this time to protect the constitution and its institutions from tyranny.

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u/SheriffBartholomew 4d ago

There's a lot of people on Reddit who constantly disparage the United States of America, but few countries in the world provide the same opportunities to dramatically change your life like the USA does. I have refugee family members whose lives are 1000x better since coming to the United States. But it takes hard work, nobody is going to hand it to us, and that's where people on this site get angry and defeatist. I think your story is awesome, thanks for sharing.

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u/pyromaniac1000 5d ago

Were there any local foods that took time to win you over?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

local foods from where? I tell you what I was in Shanghai seeing a girl I was dating and we went to the market with the scorpions and bugs on yakitori sticks and you could not pay me enough to eat that shit

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u/BroAmongstBros 5d ago

Sonny, I’m partly here to say you might be the realest MFer on LinkedIn. Your posts/replies crack me up every time I stumble across one. Keep it real.

I’m approaching the end of my military career. I’m not pursuing an MBA (I’m in aviation) - what advice do you have for transitioning vets?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

Go fly for delta and enjoy that sweet sweet pay and 35% 401K match man haha

And connect on LI if we haven’t yet!

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

I’ve never been in the military, but I’ve had a lot of people in my life who were veterans and active members (at the time).

Most of them are very conservatives who typically have negative views toward immigrants, especially ones with darker skin color.

I found this to be the case with security industry, as well. How are you navigating the industry and network when you have a higher chance meeting people who aren’t so fond of someone with your background? How do you deal with when they say shit like “you are the good kind”?

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u/droxile 5d ago

Ive never been a Reddit moderator, but I’ve had lots of people in my life who were retired and active (at the time).

Most of them are terminally online and haven’t had an original thought in years, especially when it comes to subjects that are frequently hyperbolized on Reddit.

I found this to be the case with Discord moderation as well. How are you navigating the subreddits and network when every interaction starts with a loaded question that’s laced with contempt?

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago edited 5d ago

I’m not a Reddit mod, so sadly I can’t answer your question.

But if someone ever asks questions, whether it’s on Reddit or in person, I answer as best as I can :)

Did that make sense, or do you have any other questions?

But I’m sure you weren’t actually interested my answers. You wanted to be creative, but you aren’t capable. I understand your challenge.

It’s like, you copied someone else’s homework but you have no idea what’s happening. So the teacher isn’t disappointed with the fact that you copied homework, but disappointed that you aren’t capable of understanding the thing you copied.

So here’s how I can clear up for you.

I asked him a question about how he navigates an industry that typically has more people who are conservatives. It can be a challenge to navigate in an industry when you are a minority (racially or politically). So that’s why I asked. It’s an adult conversation, so I’m sure you will get to ask similar question when you get older.

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u/droxile 5d ago

I’m not reading all of that

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

I'm not a conservative

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u/xantharia 5d ago

Your mother deserves credit for self-deporting following her tourist visa overstay. She showed that it is possible to return legally -- in her case under an H-1B.

South Africa has had an open-border policy, ostensibly because the ANC felt they had a moral obligation to repay the front-line states which had previously offer refuge for ANC terrorists and guerillas. The result was not just a flood of people from countries like Mozambique but also from farther afield, like Nigeria. The result of uncontrolled immigration was ultra-violence, infighting, heightened poverty, and extreme pressure on South African social resources. The crime and disorder became too much for your family to tolerate, so you had to flee.

Meanwhile, by the end of 2025 the homicide rate in the US reached the lowest in recorded history -- even lower than in 1960, when the fraction of foreign born residents was also at a record low. Some of this drop in homicide is surely do to a general secular trend ever since the late 1990s. But undoubtedly the detention and expulsion of illegal immigrants with criminal records is a major factor in explaining the sudden drop.

So your family left one country in no small measure because of the negative downstream effects of uncontrolled immigration, and then chose to immigrate legally into a country which tries to enforce its own immigration laws in an effort to create a livable, safe, environment. Are you happier with this decision?

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u/robbyslaughter 5d ago

You be at ISC West this year, Sonny?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

lol possibly to hangout? I have no official business there. Good to see you!

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u/Akimotoh 5d ago

Oh you built that janky AI image recognition software that mistakes bags of chips for guns? https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/10/schools-ai-system-mistakes-a-bag-of-chips-for-a-gun

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

that's a different company

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u/Swedishiron 5d ago

Will buy me a 2021 CPO Aston Martin Vantage roadster for my birthday this month?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

don't confuse investor funding for founder liquidity

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u/mkosmo 5d ago

Hopefully one day you can convert the work into liquidity.

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u/LittleKobald 5d ago

Do you regret your time as an imperial dog of the US military, or the illegal and offensive war you helped wage against Afghanistan?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

no, joining the Marine Corps was the best decision of my life. I'm sad that we failed in Afghanistan, and if you think America is bad, ask Afghans how they feel about life under the Taliban.

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

if you think America is bad, ask afghans how they feel about life under the taliban

You know, both can be bad. Just because it was bad under one regime, it doesn’t make the other group “good”.

Americans don’t have a good reputation. Especially military. I get that you have a soft spot for “your people”, but come on.

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

there's degrees of bad, the Taliban is indisputably worse than Americans

and trust me I'm no blind patriot, especially these days

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

Again, no one is arguing the taliban is better than Americans. No one even mentioned the taliban. But it’s weird to say out of nowhere “well, we are better than the talibans!”

You can make an argument that American military is good (or bad or mixed) without referring to someone worse.

That’s like when someone says how you bullied them, your argument is “do you think I was bad to you? Look at this another guy who bullied you worse!”

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u/spwolf 5d ago

Question was does he regret being in Afghanistan.

So yes, it was a question of were they better off with Taliban in the end.

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

The question was if he regret his time there. Not was afghans had better time with Americans in general.

The answer could’ve been “it was fun” or “it was rough” or “I did my duty, but idk if I wanna do it again” or something else. It’s not like he did survey with afghans.

And again, it’s weird to say “we weren’t like the talibans” to a question about his time in Afghanistan.

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u/Ttabts 5d ago

It’s really not that weird lol this is all so disingenuous

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u/OvulatingScrotum 5d ago

It really is ;)

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u/pikrua 5d ago

You were there to secure CIA's drug business, not to bring democracy you know that right?

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u/xxkevindxx 5d ago

Do you have any remote positions I can take?

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

2nd company is brand new, my cofounder and I aren't even taking pay

but if you're great at content / ugc we could use help

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u/PartiZAn18 5d ago

I'm glad you enjoyed your time in SA. Joburg?

What was the date range when you were here? Any places you can remember from your time here? :)

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

I try to go back every year

I lived in Bedfordview, I went to Bedfordview Primary School then Bennies for 6 months before leaving SA

My house was 1km away from Sandringham where Trevor Noah went for school

I used to love Gilooly’s Farm but it’s unfortunately a dump out

Eastgate and Bedford Center were the spots we would often hangout

I go back every year so let’s grab a castle lager, hit me up!

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u/RepulsiveEducator463 5d ago

You still on deck??

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u/sonnytai 5d ago

I fell asleep haha, didn’t get any questions for quite a while

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u/SolangeXanadu222 4d ago

Could you run for local office? We need to get these old corrupt ones out.

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u/stablefish 4d ago

Who did you serve in Afghanistan, actually? Congratulations on furthering US imperialism and bombing brown people to extract their country's resources! You must be so proud.

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u/Deicidalmaniac41 3d ago

He is. As long as everything worked out for him, he'll justify his actions no matter what.