“I relied on fax”: 10 questions for the weekend with Joseph Ball (Frederick Capital)

“10 On The Weekend” is IMI’s weekly (with a few “buts”) feature. The format is simple: every time, we ask the same guest ten questions—so readers get to know the person behind the role, in a more human way than the usual business chatter.

This week’s guest is Joseph Ball, Founder and CEO of Frederick Capital.

How do you spend your weekends?

At 47, my weekends look nothing like they did when I was in my twenties. On Saturdays, it’s mostly about health and fitness: a solid session at the gym or a long hike. Sunday is for slowing down and recovering.

My ideal day is a great Argentinian steak and a proper bottle of Malbec. I live in Brazil, so that part is easy.

Three main business goals for this year

• Growing Frederick Capital’s presence in the US and the UK. We’re seeing a clear rise in CBI-related enquiries there, and my goal is to become the go-to advisor for clients in that space.
• Developing our Russian-language platform, which we launched recently. The project is already gaining traction.
• More strategic partnerships with trusted experts worldwide, so we can offer clients a truly “tailor-made” service—from the first step to the final outcome.

What’s worrying you most in business right now?

Right now, I’d say I have two different areas of concern. The first is regulatory. In the Caribbean CBI segment, changes are moving fast: pressure from the EU is increasing on programmes that have worked well for clients for decades. Staying on top of developments and helping people make decisions based on the most up-to-date information is an ongoing job.

The second is more general: how quickly AI is reshaping the way people work across different industries. For many sectors, it’s both exciting and unsettling. At the same time, there’s one area where AI’s impact will be limited—planning migration and citizenship. That gives a bit of peace of mind.

What book is on your bedside table right now?

I was a little late to pick it up, but recently I read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight—an autobiographical story of how Nike was built. It’s engaging and genuinely enjoyable.

For the beach, I also brought The Three-Body Problem—a strong science-fiction read. Two completely different genres, but both are so compelling you can’t stop once you start.

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?

My professional background is technology. I spent 12 years as CEO of a tech company in the UK. But at the same time, my business connections kept taking me to the US, Barbados, Australia, and across Europe. Early on, I learned—very personally—what it means to operate across different jurisdictions.

I went through the international relocation journey myself, so I understand from the inside how confusing it can be and how often people don’t receive high-quality support. When I eventually left the UK and settled in Brazil, the idea for Frederick Capital came naturally.

What moment do you feel most proud of as a service provider?

There are a few moments I’m genuinely proud of. But the ones that stay with me most are the personal stories behind the work. I didn’t fully expect how deeply personal citizenship and passport planning can be.

It’s not always about taxes or travel. Sometimes it’s about families. I’ve seen more than one case where my work helped families reunite—or get a shared passport—so they could finally live in the same country.

These moments are hard to put a price on, and they always remind me why this industry matters not just as a financial transaction.

What development in the investment migration market last year surprised you the most?

What really surprised me was how quickly clients from the US and the UK started entering the CBI market. Previously, it was mainly represented by HNW individuals from China and the Middle East.

Over the last 12–18 months, the profile of enquiries has changed dramatically. We’re seeing steady demand from Americans and Britons who already have strong passports, but are looking for asset protection and a Plan B. This shift happened faster than I expected.

If you could go back 10 years, what business decision would you change?

If I could go back ten years, I would have entered this market much earlier—especially by making the move at the start of COVID. The pandemic triggered a clear shift in how people think about global mobility, and in many ways, it became irreversible—including for me.

I watched the world change in real time and understood intuitively that demand for second citizenship, residency options, and international planning would accelerate. I was right, but at the time I was still transitioning out of the technology business. Looking back now, if I had done it earlier, I’d have been fully ready for that shift from day one.

Whose “personality” in the investment migration industry do you respect most?

I don’t want to single out one person. What I value most are the early pioneers of global mobility—the people who helped with relocation and citizenship planning long before the internet made everything relatively simple.

Today we have smartphones, instant communication, video calls, and global banking at our fingertips. But when I first started working on international cases, I had to rely on fax.

People who built this industry under those conditions—and managed to run complex cross-border processes without the tools we use now—deserve huge respect.

If everything goes to plan, what will you be doing in five years?

If things go well, I’d like to significantly strengthen Frederick Capital’s position in the Southern Cone of South America. We operate globally and across different jurisdictions, but this region is special to me—both professionally and personally.

I genuinely enjoy living here, and I’m confident the Southern Cone is one of the most interesting—and still underserved—markets in global mobility. Interest is growing quickly across Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. I want the investment migration industry to develop in this direction, and I plan to be part of that process.

If you’re considering CBI / “golden visa” and investment residency, it’s crucial to work with expertise that monitors regulatory shifts and helps design a plan aligned with your goals. The interview with Joseph Ball highlights exactly how fast the market is evolving and why reliable partners and up-to-date knowledge make the difference. Want to understand which options look most promising right now and how to approach the process with confidence? Learn more at https://digital-nomad.gr/en/goldenvisa.

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr