Being Austrian, working in New York, and moving to Switzerland
About Daniel Goldscheider
If you need to find Daniel Goldscheider, look for a runner that runs up mountains and sits on his couch working 24/7. He is most likely in an important meeting. He will be wearing Moncler and a collared shirt. He only works on his iphone. He likes to talk about physics. Because he has lived in many places, he can speak English. T and the places he lived impacted him and changed him into the person he is now.
What was it like to move from Vienna to New York?
“Well, for me it was a big change on manyin many different fronts. Of course there was the geographic difference between Austria and the United States, between Vienna and Manhattan, but there was also a big difference because I changed my jobT and the biggest difference was probably changing the people that I would see on a daily basis. “
What was the reason why you moved to the United Sstates?
I got a job offer that I could not refuse. The former USus ambassador forV vienna invited me to work for him and to invest in companies at a very exciting time. I and i felt it was an amazing opportunity to get to know another countrycontrite and to work for him and buy companies at a time of the that so the advent of the internet;, the first dot.com bubble.
Was it a bit hard to move away from all your friends, to a place where you didn’t have any friends?
You know, I got really lucky because when I was on the plane from Vienna to JFK I had a next door neighbor, and we became really good friends. We are still in touch today. She is a really good friend and she was the first person I knew really well in New Yyork.
What was the biggest change that you had from changing continents?
Well I had also lived with my parents and your grandparents before moving to New York. Iso it was not just a change of location but it was the first time that I livedi lived in my own apartment. and I think that was probably the biggest single change.
Did you miss your parents?
Terribly and I missed my friends, but it was an exciting opportunity, and all in all I think it was a good decision to go.W and of course whenever I came back for Cchristmas or for an birthday it was a very special moment.
Was it hard for you to get stuff for your apartment?
You know this probably bad advice for my son, but New York is an amazing place to find your first apartment because there are so many services that will be catered to you. You don’t really need to cook because you have so many dellys, and there are so many places where you can buy worm food, and if you don’t want to cook, you never have to cook ,and you don’t have to do your own laundry because you can give your laundry to the doar men of your building so in a way manhattan i think is an amazing first city to move out from home.
So that means you did not have a kitchen?
I did have a kitchen but, I think I never used the kitchen for anything other than having water in the fridge.
What was the reason why you moved to Switzerland?
I had the opportunity to co-found a private equity company here in Switzerland and I felt that was a really amazing chance that I wouldn’t want to miss. It was great to move from Vienna to Manhattan to rural Switzerland. It was again quite a drastic change.
What was your first impression of Switzerland?
Well I had been in Switzerland before moving there. I think my very first impression when I came to Switzerland for the first time in my life is that the scenery is incredibly beautiful. I, it’s a very safe placeI , it's a very clean place and I love the special kind of democracy that exists in Switzerland.
Elija, this part might not be on topic - it might be a bit too far away from the topic of identity. You could consider taking it out.
“Manhattan I think is a fantastic first city to move out from home to.”
-Daniel Goldscheider
You also said before that moving from Manhattan to Switzerland was a big change?
Well, for one, the view. I used to work in the gym building in Mmanhattan on the 43 floor and when I looked out the window Ii saw the island of Mmanhattan from Eeast Rriver to Hudson River. And after the move when I looked out of the window I saw cows. TSo that was quite a dramatic change. Of course the difference between Mmanhattan and Zug, Switzerland is enormous on every level. I, if it’s the density of in restaurants or galleries or the fact that you have an amazing opera in Mmanhattan. O but on the other hand, if you like to jog or as I do go trail running or like to ski, Switzerland is very hard to beat.
Which view did you like more?
You know what I really like is having the opportunity to switch from one to the other. I think the contrast is what I love the most.
If you could choose one place where you could live? Austria, M manhattan, or Switzerland?
I think it really depends on your circumstances. If you are young and you have your first job I think Manhattan is an incredible place to be. When you are ready to form your own family Switzerland, Zurich, Vienna are probably places that I would prefer. It’s a safe space and I love the idea that in the first years our kids are in a Very safe space. But I equally
think that it’s important that you have to get out of that safe space. If I can express a hope for the future for you and your sisters will eventually live somewhere if that is New York or San Francisco or whatever it is sanghi but I think it is important that you see a little bit of the world and to live in places that have a faster pace and that are a little less if.
We are coming to the end of this interview. Is there anything else you want to add?
Maybe to say that while the location where you live the country the city is important it is not as important and the people that you live with. For me home is the place where you are and your sisters are and your mom is. That is truly home.
So not the places where you have been but where the people that you love are.
Yeah the people you care about
Thank you so much
Bye
Bye
“ Maybe to say that while the location where you live the country the city is important it is not as important and the people that you live with.”
