supply, my rich dad suggested I learn more about the oil industry. I had been with Standard Oil from 1966 to 1969 as an apprentice and a ship’s officer, a third mate on their oil tankers. Since I had an interest in oil, I found it easy to learn more about it.
Once I began to win as a sales rep for Xerox, in order to learn more about oil, I took a part-time position with an oil company out of Oklahoma that was selling oil and gas tax shelters. Back in those days, an investor could invest $100,000 and receive a 4-to-1 tax break on his or her investment. In this example, a $100,000 investment was worth $400,000 in tax write-offs. So the investor made more money from the oil production and paid much less in taxes—one reason why the rich got richer.
Selling these leveraged oil and gas tax shelters during this period of high oil prices taught me some important lessons. Lesson number one was that not all businesses were hurting because of the oil crisis. My eyes were opened to the reality that many people were getting richer and richer while others were getting poorer. With that realization, my financial IQ went up—I saw another world. After my experience selling Xerox copiers to businesses and then selling tax shelters to the rich in my spare time, I decided I wanted to be rich.
The Lesson
Take a look at the equation…
The harsh reality is, as energy prices go up, the wealth of the nation goes down, except for those with the financial IQ to invest wisely. Yet, if you are rich, your equation can look like this:
The choice is yours. You can choose which “wealth = energy” equation you want.
I became a partner in oil exploration ventures because I wanted to be on the side of the rich. Today, I continue to invest in oil and gas partnerships…just as I was doing back in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today, the tax breaks (while not as good as they were in the past) are still enticing. For the $100,000 I invest today, while not receiving a 4-to-1 write-off like I did in the past, can still receive a 70 percent write-off plus a 15 percent depletion allowance. That means I receive a $70,000 tax break when I invest, and for every dollar of income, I also get a 15 percent tax break, which means I earn more and pay less in taxes. Try getting that with savings, stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Knowing how to earn money and pay less in taxes is financial intelligence.
The trick for me was to find an honest oil company. As my rich dad said to me years ago, “The definition of an oil man is a liar standing next to a hole in the ground.” You can also substitute gold miner for oil man.
Today, although I make a lot of money from my books and games, most of my wealth comes from my gold mine in China, my silver mine in South America, and my real estate companies and oil partnerships in the United States.
Every time a reporter asks me, “Isn’t the best way to get rich to write a book about getting rich?” I chuckle. In reply, I simply say, “If you think writing an internationally best-selling book and creating an educational board game is easy, why don’t you do it?” In my opinion, it is much easier to find oil or gold than to write a best-selling book.
Donald Trump and I write books because we are very concerned. Our message is, with the proper financial education and preparation, you can increase your financial IQ and ride the rough waters to become richer rather than poorer.
Donald’s View
Education Replaces Fear
Robert’s and my message is, with the proper financial education and planning you can ride out the turbulence of what is happening in our financial world today and through this education you can become richer by finding ways to solve the problems.
I am reminded of a simple example of problem solving. When Robert came to my office recently to talk about the book, I had a red chair in the middle of my office. I asked him how he liked the new chair and how much he thought it cost.
He was standing there looking at this elegant, fabric-covered dining-room chair and finally said, “I have no idea.” I loved it.
“Mike, my golf course manager in California called and said he needed 150 chairs for the restaurant, and that he had been quoted $1,500 for each chair. That sounded very expensive to me, so instead of simply agreeing, I made a few calls.
“It cost me $90,” I said quite proudly. “It’s a fabulous chair. It’s the best. Here, sit on it. And it’s a better chair than the $1,500 one. Do you know how much money I saved, just by making a few phone calls?”
It’s a matter of leadership and the ability to solve problems. If my staff thinks I spend money carelessly, then they will spend money carelessly. So I do this not only to preserve capital, but also to set an example for my team. You see, I am not afraid of spending money. I like buying the best. But I do not like wasting money. So many people struggle financially because they think cheap and buy cheap. You can get rich by being cheap, but who wants to be a rich cheap person?
Even when I was having financial difficulties, I was never cheap. When my company was struggling, I still paid my employees well. And that is why I buy the best chair at the best price. I don’t like being ripped off, especially when I can get the best for less. I expect my staff to do the same.
One thing we all need to remember is that a little effort is the best replacement for excuses. If we were all to make an effort to understand what’s going on around us, to make that quantum leap to using our higher, non-complacent minds, some lucid thinking might result. Problem solving is education at its best. Just as understanding can replace hatred, education can replace fear.
Ignorance can be easier, but it is often the result of fear. As Robert Frost said, “There’s nothing I’m afraid of like scared people.” Reduce your fear and fuel your courage.
I like Robert’s diagrams and when I look at his wealth and energy arrows, I think of how our individual energy can create wealth. If you have the perseverance to move forward with momentum, that is a great force of energy in itself. And with the right focus, it’s likely you will succeed. I always liked Alexander Graham Bell’s statement: Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. If you can control your energy then you stand a good chance of creating and controlling your own wealth. Your arrows will both be pointing in the right direction.
I have learned that what is essential can sometimes be invisible to the eye. That’s where discernment comes in. Leaders are those people who have replaced fear with discernment, which means they can predict the inevitable. Their education has resulted in an insight that can effectively replace fear, and which greatly enhances their chances of success.
Problem solving is made much easier if you think of problems as challenges. You might as well view them that way, since problems are a part of life. Taking a positive spin on problems will inevitably give you more energy. I say ‘inevitably’ with confidence because I know that’s a fact and I know it from experience. Confidence is a big step toward courage, and fear will evaporate when confronted with it.
Robert has said that a problem can create an opportunity. Well said, and I agree. If you will begin to view your problems in that light, I can guarantee you will be on the road to solving them. I’ve had some big problems, to the tune of billions
