富爸爸,穷爸爸(英文版)- 第15部分

THE　RICHEST　BUSINESSMEN

In　1923　a　group　of　our　greatest　leaders　and　richest　businessmen　held　a　meeting　at　the　Edgewater　Beach　hotel　in　Chicago。　Among　them　were　Charles　Schwab；　head　of　the　largest　independent　steel　pany；　Samuel　Instill；　president　of　the　world's　largest　utility；　Howard　Hopson；　head　of　the　largest　gas　pany；　Ivar　Kreuger　president　of　the　International　Match　Co。；　one　of　the　world's　largest　panies　at　that　time；　Leon　Frazier；　president　of　the　Bank　of　International　Settlements；　Richard　Whitney；　president　of　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange；　Arthur　Cotton　and　Jesse　Livermore；　two　of　the　biggest　stock　speculators；　and　Albert　Fall；　a　member　of　President　Harding's　cabi。　Twenty　five　years　later　nine　of　them　（those　listed　above）　ended　as　follows。　Schwab　died　penniless　after　living　for　five　years　on　borrowed　money。　Instill　died　broke　living　in　a　foreign　land。　Kreuger　and　Cotton　also　died　broke。　Hopson　went　insane。　Whitney　and　Albert　Fall　were　just　released　from　prison。　Fraser　and　Livermore　mitted　suicide。

I　doubt　if　anyone　can　say　what　really　happened　to　these　men。　If　you　look　at　the　date；　1923；　it　was　just　before　the　1929　market　crash　and　the　Great　Depression；　which　I　suspect　had　a　great　impact　on　these　men　and　their　lives。　The　point　is　this：　Today　we　live　in　times　of　greater　and　faster　change　than　these　men　did。　I　suspect　there　will　be　many　booms　and　busts　in　the　next　25　years　that　will　parallel　the　ups　and　downs　these　men　faced。　I　am　concerned　that　too　many　people　are　focused　too　much　on　money　and　not　their　greatest　wealth；　which　is　their　education。　If　people　are　prepared　to　be　flexible；　keep　an　open　mind　and　learn；　they　will　grow　richer　and　richer　through　the　changes。　If　they　think　money　will　solve　problems；　I　am　afraid　those　people　will　have　a　rough　ride。　Intelligence　solves　problems　and　produces　money。　Money　without　financial　intelligence　is　money　soon　gone。

Most　people　fail　to　realize　that　in　life；　it's　not　how　much　money　you　make；　it's　how　much　money　you　keep。　We　have　all　heard　stories　of　lottery　winners　who　are　poor；　then　suddenly　rich；　then　poor　again。　They　win　millions　and　are　soon　back　to　where　they　started。　Or　stories　of　professional　athletes；　who；　at　the　age　of　24；　are　earning　millions　of　dollars　a　year；　and　are　sleeping　under　a　bridge　by　age　34。　In　the　paper　this　morning；　as　I　write　this；　there　is　a　story　of　a　young　basketball　player　who　a　year　ago　had　millions。　Today；　he　claims　his　friends；　attorney　and　accountant　took　his　money；　and　now　he　works　at　a　car　wash　for　minimum　wage。

He　is　only　29。　He　was　fired　from　the　car　wash　because　he　refused　to　take　off　his　championship　ring　as　he　was　wiping　off　the　cars；　so　his　story　made　the　newspaper。　He　is　appealing　his　termination；　claiming　hardship　and　discrimination　and　that　the　ring　is　all　he　has　left。　He　claims　that　if　you　take　that　away；　he'll　crumble。

In　1997；　I　know　so　many　people　who　are　being　instant　millionaires。　It's　the　Roaring　'20s　one　more　time。　And　while　I　am　glad　people　have　been　getting　richer　and　richer；　I　only　caution　that　in　the　long　run；　it's　not　how　much　you　make；　it's　how　much　you　keep；　and　how　many　generations　you　keep　it。

So　when　people　ask；　〃Where　do　I　get　started？〃　or　〃Tell　me　how　to　get　rich　quick；〃　they　often　are　greatly　disappointed　with　my　answer。　I　simply　say　to　them　what　my　rich　dad　said　back　to　me　when　I　was　a　little　kid。　〃If　you　want　to　be　rich；　you　need　to　be　financially　literate。〃

That　idea　was　drummed　into　my　head　every　time　we　were　together。　As　I　said；　my　educated　dad　stressed　the　importance　of　reading　books；　while　my　rich　dad　stressed　the　need　to　master　financial　literacy。

If　you　are　going　to　build　the　Empire　State　Building；　the　first　thing　you　need　to　do　is　dig　a　deep　hole　and　pour　a　strong　foundation。　If　you　are　going　to　build　a　home　in　the　suburbs；　all　you　need　to　do　is　pour　a　6…inch　slab　of　concrete。　Most　people；　in　their　drive　to　get　rich；　are　trying　to　build　an　Empire　State　Building　on　a　6…inch　slab。

Our　school　system；　having　been　created　in　the　Agrarian　Age；　still　believes　in　homes　with　no　foundation。　Dirt　floors　are　still　the　rage。　So　kids　graduate　from　school　with　virtually　no　financial　foundation。　One　day；　sleepless　and　deep　in　debt　in　suburbia；　living　the　American　Dream；　they　decide　that　the　answer　to　their　financial　problems　is　to　find　a　way　to　get　rich　quick。

Construction　on　the　skyscraper　begins。　It　goes　up　quickly；　and　soon；　instead　of　the　Empire　State　Building；　we　have　the　Leaning　Tower　of　Suburbia。　The　sleepless　nights　return。

As　for　Mike　and　me　in　our　adult　years；　both　of　our　choices　were　possible　because　we　were　taught　to　pour　a　strong　financial　foundation　when　we　were　just　kids。

Now；　accounting　is　possibly　the　most　boring　subject　in　the　world。　It　also　could　be　the　most　confusing。　But　if　you　want　to　be　rich；　long　term；　it　could　be　the　most　important　subject。　The　question　is；　how　do　you　take　a　boring　and　confusing　subject　and　teach　it　to　kids？　The　answer　is；　make　it　simple。　Teach　it　first　in　pictures。
My　rich　dad　poured　a　strong　financial　foundation　for　Mike　and　me。　Since　we　were　just　kids；　he　created　a　simple　way　to　teach　us。　For　years　he　only　drew　pictures　and　used　words。　Mike　and　I　understood　the　simple　drawings；　the　jargon；　the　movement　of　money；　and　then　in　later　years；　rich　dad　began　adding　numbers。　Today；　Mike　has　gone　on　to　master　much　more　plex　and　sophisticated　accounting　analysis　because　he　has　had　to。　He　has　a　billion…dollar　empire　to　run。　I　am　not　as　sophisticated　because　my　empire　is　smaller；　yet　we　e　from　the　same　simple　foundation。　In　the　following　pages；　I　offer　to　you　the　same　simple　line　drawings　Mike's　dad　created　for　us。　Though　simple；　those　drawings　helped　guide　two　little　boys　in　building　great　sums　of　wealth　on　a　solid　and　deep　foundation。
Rule　One。　You　must　know　the　difference　between　an　asset　and　a　liability；　and　buy　assets。　If　you　want　to　be　rich；　this　is　all　you　need　to　know。　It　is　Rule　No。　1。　It　is　the　only　rule。　This　may　sound　absurdly　simple；　but　most　people　have　no　idea　how　profound　this　rule　is。　Most　people　struggle　financially　because　they　do　not　know　the　difference　between　an　asset　and　a　liability。
〃Rich　people　acquire　assets。　The　poor　and　middle　class　acquire　liabilities；　but　they　think　they　are　assets〃
When　rich　dad　explained　this　to　Mike　and　me；　we　thought　he　was　kidding。　Here　we　were；　nearly　teenagers　and　waiting　for　the　secret　to　getting　rich；　and　this　was　his　answer。　It　was　so　simple　that　we　had　to　stop　for　a　long　time　to　think　about　it。
〃What　is　an　asset？〃　asked　Mike。
〃Don't　worry　right　now；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Just　let　the　idea　sink　in。　If　you　can　prehend　the　simplicity；　your　life　will　have　a　plan　and　be　financially　easy。　It　is　simple；　that　is　why　the　idea　is　missed。〃
〃You　mean　all　we　need　to　know　is　　and　we'll　be　rich？〃　I　asked。
Rich　dad　nodded　his　head。　〃It's　that　simple。〃
〃If　it's　that　simple；　how　e　everyone　is　not　rich？〃　I　asked。
Rich　dad　smiled。　〃Because　people　do　not　know　the　difference
between　an　asset　and　a　liability。〃
I　remember　asking；　〃How　could　adults　be　so　silly。　If　it　is　that　simple；　if　it　is　that　important；　why　would　everyone　not　want　to　find　out？〃
It　took　our　rich　dad　only　a　few　minutes　to　explain　what　assets　and　liab