I moved from Malibu to Vegas and bought a $1.9 million home. California is beautiful but it got too difficult to live there.

• Gus Lira, a managing partner at a jet chartering company, recently moved from Malibu to Las Vegas.
• Lira said the main reason for the move was financial, citing taxes in California.
• Lira also said the $1.9 million home he got in Vegas would be $8 million in Malibu.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Gus Lira, a managing partner at a private jet charter company, who recently moved from Malibu, California, to Las Vegas. Business Insider verified the real estate prices. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born in Los Angeles and was there until the age of 10. After that I spent time in Texas, Florida, and Mexico. I returned to California in 2000.