He wants to be chairman of the board (someday)

CRIS Bofill, general manager, Mark Sayarot, president, Jesse Guerrero, AVP business development, Irwin Tieng managing director, Dingdong Dantes chief operating officer (Hyundai Paranaque West Management)

In 2009, he was voted the third sexiest man in the world by Hollywood E!

But he’s more than just eye candy. Not known to many, GMA 7 talent Jose Sixto Raphael “Dingdong” Gonzalez Dantes is an entrepreneur who invested in a number of ventures with plans to set up even more.

DANTES: Set to graduate this month.

He is also set to graduate this month from West Negros University with a degree in Marketing, but Dingdong also spent two years at  Ateneo de Manila University (Interdisciplinary Studies) in Quezon City and another two in San Beda College.

Elementary and high school years were spent at Ateneo.

His first venture was a watering hole in Intramuros called Capone’s, which served Italian and American food and drinks. He invested P100,000 with several friends and it was more of a place to be with the barkada. He was only 19 when the place was opened in 2000.

He shares that he and his friends and partners used to go out a lot, so having a place of their own helped them save money. He stresses, however, that they all paid for their own food and drinks, but at a discount.

SCENE from “Dance of the Steel Bars,” which Dingdong co-produced with GMA Films and Portfolio Films.

Capone’s, however, closed after three years and Dingdong says he learned a lot from running the bar.

In 2007, he again invested in a restaurant, this time a KTV called Centerstage on Tomas Morato corner Timog Ave. It is still around and doing well.

“Filipinos by nature are lovers of the singing culture. With or without the talent to pursue it as a profession, we always would like to end our day, week, month, or perhaps the quarter or year with celebrating our hard earned money with people we share a common interest. Having state-of-the-art facilities and a kitchen that serve your guilty pleasures, there is a minimal chance for it not to work, especially if located in strategic areas, unless the mayor of the city will put free karaoke machines in every corner of the barangay, which I highly doubt would happen,” he says to explain the KTV’s staying power.

A SCENE from “Tiktik the Aswang Chronicles”

Like in Capone’s, he invested in Centerstage with his friends, including ex-girlfriend Karylle Padilla, daughter of singer Zsa Zsa Padilla. The total capital required to put up Centerstage reached some P20 million and Dingdong says his share came from earnings from acting and endorsements.

Dingdong, 33, says he is close to his parents, from whom he got some advice on running business ventures. While he stays by himself in an exclusive condominium      area, he visits his parents during weekends.

DINGDONG’S townhouse project—he built four units which he sold at P8.5 million to P10 million each.

“Dad is the one I go to for my tactical (activities), Mom is for matters of the heart,” he says in a one-on-one interview with SundayBiz at the Inquirer office.

His parents invested in real estate and Dingdong followed suit. He put some of his money in four townhouse units that have since been sold for P8.5 million to P10 million each. Part of his money also went to some lots in exclusive villages.

Not content with his earnings there, he again found himself investing in another restaurant in 2010 called Gustavus, a high-end steak place on Carlos Palanca St. in Manila. Unfortunately, it did not do as well as the KTV and eventually shut down.

“The problem was sustaining the lunch crowd,” he points out, adding that it was also difficult sourcing the ingredients as almost everything was imported.

Dingdong says he and his eight co-investors lost some P1 million each. But again, he says he learned a lot from the business.

He also says that in all of his ventures, “all funds came from my salary as an actor.” And being a sought-after celebrity certainly helps in his businesses as it helps raise the profile and gives him access to people who know a lot about running a business.

“Through my job as an actor, I get to meet interesting individuals who are successful in entrepreneurship. I am constantly inspired by stories that tickle a certain interest in me, especially when it comes to industries that I am passionate about, such as cars and food,” he says.

Dingdong adds that he is encouraged to expand his business horizon by his parents, who constantly remind him to save up for his future since show business can be unpredictable. One minute you’re famous, and the next, you’re not. To enhance his staying power, Dingdong says he invests in himself and his craft, always trying to find ways to be better.

“In my 15 years in this industry, I have learned one of the most important doctrines—my job as an actor is my primary business. I should engage in all efforts to make it grow and make it productive for me as a person, and my audience as recipients,” he says.

Dingdong says he applies this discipline, and struggle and want to learn new things not just on his acting but also in business.

“I always use this template in all other endeavors. The blueprint may be basic, details can change, but the attitude towards the job is constant,” he says.

Dingdong says he wants to be “in the entertainment industry forever.”

“Perhaps I can shift to producing soon, but I still want to enjoy the youth of being an actor. Till when? I do not know,” he says.

He is mum about the state of his finances but does say that he always strives for balance. He is also open to more opportunities to make his money work for him.

Last month, for example, he invested with friends in a Hyundai dealership near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque.

“Right now, I would like to focus on my Hyundai dealership and my production company, Agosto Dos Pictures,” says Dingdong, who has found time to read “Chairman of the Board (A Practical Guide)” by Brian Lechem.

“I’m sure that in one way or another I would encounter chairmen of different boards. When that time comes, I want to be prepared and give that person what is expected of me, as an employee, as a talent, and perhaps a co-director, sharing the same pool of interests,” Dingdong says.