Lucaj started out to be a dentist, like his brothers, but he says he was drawn to personal finance while attending Fordham University, where he graduated with a degree in finance. The family’s discussions with the Hajdari Group about investing led to Lucaj working for Hajdari. He started last April and has a promising career in financial planning and investment management, says Hajdari.
The two families have similar backgrounds. In both, the parents immigrated from what was Yugoslavia and came to the United States with little money. The parents worked hard to educate their children, says Lucaj.
The Hajdari Group specializes in advising members of the medical profession. It has $300 million in assets under management and custodianship, says Hajdari, who founded the firm in 2009.
Although his older brothers are doctors, Lucaj says his mother encouraged him to follow his desire to go into finance. She worked two jobs after her husband fell ill to help put the three boys through prestigious schools.
The night she was struck, she was almost at the front door with her keys in her hand. “She thought she was home,” says Lucaj. She was preparing to go shopping for the last-minute items for Thanksgiving dinner.
Since then, Lucaj has spent a lot of time in community meetings and talking with politicians and community groups. The Hajdari Group has supported him in his activities.
“With this tragedy, life for us came to a halt,” he says. “Some days it is still hard to function, but doing something positive helped to deal with the tragedy.”