WHEN Ben Youssef moved to Spain to expand his company, he never imagined he would end up living on the streets.
The businessman (pictured above left), 37, moved to the Costa del Sol four years ago to open the first European branch of his firm, which was headquartered in Tunisia.
But while working hard to get things off the ground, he told the Spanish Eye how his partners and then-girlfriend ‘conspired to take everything’, allegedly forging his signature on documents that signed over all his shares and the majority of his money, which was tied up in the firm.
He said: ‘I lost everything and now, for the first time in my life, I’m living in the streets in my car, it’s humiliating, they took everything, it’s really hard.
‘I have a master’s degree in Psychology and speak five languages, I never thought this could happen to me.’
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Help Ben rebuild his life by donating to his GoFundMe here
Ben is half Tunisian and half Spanish but has grown up around the world, including France and a couple of years in London. He has permanent Spanish residency.
He says he has been ‘overwhelmed’ by the support from British and Irish expats up and down the coast.
‘They are the kindest people around, I’m so grateful for them,’ he added.
Ben has been living on the streets for 14 months and until recently was surviving off his now depleted savings.
Fortunately, he has landed a job in Portugal working for a travel agency – but he has no money to get himself there.
He has launched a GoFundMe just to pay for travel, clothes and to help with the first month of rent until his first paycheck comes in.
The appeal reads: ‘Your support will not only pull me off the streets for good but also give me a chance to live with dignity again. Thank you for considering my request.’
