Rich Dad Poor Dad. Robert T. Kiyosaki
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school. On top of that, he believes in working for money.”
“And you don’t?” I asked.
20 YEARS AGO TODAY...
GO TO SCHOOL?
While I am a huge supporter of education and life-long learning, “going to school”—especially college—has become a financial nightmare. Student loan debt is at record highs with 44 million Americans owing nearly $1.3 trillion. Again: that’s trillion… with a T.
“No, not really,” said rich dad. “If you want to learn to work for money, then stay in school. That is a great place to learn to do that. But if you want to learn how to have money work for you, then I will teach you that. But only if you want to learn.”
“Wouldn’t everyone want to learn that?” I asked.
“No,” said rich dad, “simply because it’s easier to learn to work for money, especially if fear is your primary emotion when the subject of money is discussed.”
“I don’t understand,” I said with a frown.
“Don’t worry about that for now. Just know that it’s fear that keeps most people working at a job: the fear of not paying their bills, the fear of being fired, the fear of not having enough money, and the fear of starting over. That’s the price of studying to learn a profession or trade, and then working for money. Most people become a slave to money—and then get angry at their boss.”
“Learning to have money work for you is a completely different course of study?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” rich dad answered. “Absolutely.”
We sat in silence on that beautiful Hawaiian Saturday morning. My friends had just started their Little League baseball game, but for some reason I was now thankful I had decided to work for 10 cents an hour. I sensed that I was about to learn something my friends wouldn’t learn in school.
“Ready to learn?” asked rich dad.
“Absolutely,” I said with a grin.
“I have kept my promise. I’ve been teaching you from afar,” my rich dad said. “At nine years old, you’ve gotten a taste of what it feels like to work for money. Just multiply your last month by fifty years and you will have an idea of what most people spend their life doing.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“How did you feel waiting in line to see me, once to get hired and once to ask for more money?”
“Terrible,” I said.
“If you choose to work for money, that is what life will be like,” said rich dad.
“And how did you feel when Mrs. Martin dropped three dimes in your hand for three hours of work?”
“I felt like it wasn’t enough. It seemed like nothing. I was disappointed,” I said.
“And that is how most employees feel when they look at their paychecks—especially after all the tax and other deductions are taken out. At least you got 100 percent.”
“You mean most workers don’t get paid everything?” I asked with amazement.
“Heavens no!” said rich dad. “The government always takes its share first.”
“How do they do that?” I asked.
“Taxes,” said rich dad. “You’re taxed when you earn. You’re taxed when you spend. You’re taxed when you save. You’re taxed when you die.”
“Why do people let the government do that to them?”
“The rich don’t,” said rich dad with a smile. “The poor and the middle class do. I’ll bet you that I earn more than your dad, yet he pays more in taxes.”
“How can that be?” I asked. At my age, that made no sense to me. “Why would someone let the government do that to them?”
Rich dad rocked slowly and silently in his chair, just looking at me.
“Ready to learn?” he asked.
20 YEARS AGO TODAY...
TAXES… TAXES… TAXES
As governments expand and need more and more money, the only place to get it is the middle class. That means the workers. Every government now favors the professional investor and business owners. Workers pay tax; investors and business owners pay very little tax, if they use the tax law as intended—as a tool to build the economy.
I nodded my head slowly.
“As I said, there is a lot to learn. Learning how to have money work for you is a lifetime study. Most people go to college for four years, and their education ends. I already know that my study of money will continue over my lifetime, simply because the more I find out, the more I find out I need to know. Most people never study the subject. They go to work, get their paycheck, balance their checkbooks, and that’s it. Then they wonder why they have money problems. They think that more money will solve the problem and don’t realize that it’s their lack of financial education that is the problem.”
“So my dad has tax problems because he doesn’t understand money?” I asked, confused.
“Look,” said rich dad, “taxes are just one small section on learning how to have money work for you. Today, I just wanted to find out if you still have the passion to learn about money. Most people don’t. They want to go to school, learn a profession, have fun at their work, and earn lots of money. One day they wake up with big money problems, and then they can’t stop working. That’s the price of only knowing how to work for money instead of studying how to have money work for you. So do you still have the passion to learn?” asked rich dad.
I nodded my head.
“Good,” said rich dad. “Now get back to work. This time, I will pay you nothing.”
“What?” I asked in amazement.
“You heard me. Nothing. You will work the same three hours every Saturday, but this time you will not be paid 10 cents per hour. You said you wanted to learn to not work for money, so I’m not going to pay you anything.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I’ve already had this conversation with Mike and he’s already working, dusting and stacking canned goods for free. You’d better hurry and get back there.”
“That’s not fair,” I shouted. “You’ve got to pay something!”
“You said you wanted to learn. If you don’t learn this now, you’ll grow up to be like the two women and the older man sitting in my living room, working for money and hoping I don’t fire them. Or like your dad, earning lots of money only to be in debt up to his eyeballs, hoping more money will solve the problem. If that’s what you want, I’ll go back to our original deal of 10 cents an hour. Or you can do what most adults do: Complain that there is not enough pay, quit, and go looking for another job.”
“But what do I do?” I asked.
Rich dad tapped me on the head. “Use this,” he said. “If you use it well, you will soon thank me for giving you an opportunity and you will grow into a rich man.”
I stood there, still not believing what a raw deal I was handed. I came to ask for a raise, and somehow I was instead working for nothing.
Rich dad tapped me on the head again and said, “Use this. Now get out of here and get back to work.”
Lesson #1: The Rich Don’t Work for Money
I didn’t tell my poor dad I wasn’t being paid. He wouldn’t have understood, and I didn’t want to try to explain something I didn’t understand myself.
For three more weeks, Mike and I worked three hours every Saturday for nothing.