Robert Kiyosaki, author of the international bestseller Rich Dad Poor Dad, has once again stirred the financial world with a blunt reality check. In a post on social media platform X earlier this week, he declared: “Does money make you rich? NO: In most cases, money makes people and countries poorer.”
The Wealth Trap: 65% of Athletes Go Bankrupt, Lotteries Become Nightmares
Kiyosaki illustrated his argument with alarming statistics. He noted that records show 65% of professional athletes end up bankrupt just seven years after retirement. The same pattern holds true for many lottery winners, where sudden wealth often leads to complete financial ruin. He then turned to everyday workers: “Take the average working person, let’s say a waiter in America may easily earn $35K a year for 50 years, equals $1.75 million… and die poor.”
Root Cause: Absence of Real Financial Education
According to Kiyosaki, the root of this crisis lies in a broken financial education system. Most people learn about money from teachers with strong academic credentials but poor real-world financial experience—much like his “poor dad” character. As a solution, he urged followers: “Seek out rich teachers and friends… like my Rich Dad advisors, all who wrote books for active students about money, hardships, mission driven businesses, and successful entrepreneurship.” He concluded his post with a powerful reminder: “Why win the lottery and go broke or why work all your life… only to end up poor? You are much smarter than that.”
Hedging Against Collapse: Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin
Kiyosaki has long warned that without financial intelligence, both sudden wealth and a lifetime of wages can slip away. He is a vocal critic of fiat currencies, especially the weakening U.S. dollar, and consistently promotes gold, silver, and bitcoin as safeguards against economic turmoil. In his recent appearances, he reiterated that bitcoin is “the people’s currency” and urged investors to accumulate hard assets while the market remains turbulent. His message is clear: income alone cannot secure true wealth—only financial education and the right asset protection strategies can.