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ОглавлениеRobert’s View
Chicago: November 6, 2005
It is early Sunday afternoon. Tens of thousands of people are attending a large real estate expo in Chicago. The convention hall is filled with exhibits and displays of wealth-building investments and opportunities. In smaller classrooms, instructors are sharing their knowledge about how the attendees can build their own personal fortunes. The cavernous hall is filled with a buzz that is contagious. People are excited about what they are learning and how it can alter their financial destinies.
Backstage, in the large room where the production crews are working, there is a different excitement. It is a quiet, electric excitement. A long, black limousine has pulled up and people have begun to whisper, “He’s here! Donald Trump has arrived.”
I am standing in the green room, a private lounge where the main speakers wait before going onstage, so I do not see the limo arrive. But when I see two police officers go past the door of the green room, I know Donald Trump is about to enter.
From inside the green room I can see a tall, imposing figure stepping out of the limo. It could only be Donald Trump, his silhouette known to millions of The Apprentice viewers from around the world. Those of us with backstage passes spontaneously form two lines. Almost on cue, Donald Trump walks between the two lines of admirers, smiling and nodding. It is a greeting reserved for royalty or heads of state. If it had been Hollywood, a red carpet would have been ordered.
“Oh my God!” gasps a young woman. “He’s even more impressive in real life.” “I cannot believe how tall he is,” says another young woman. “Did you see his hair?” asks another. For the most part, the men in the group are silent.
The door of the green room suddenly opens. Those who can peek in see that Donald is talking to reporters. The event promoter exits the room and walks over to me. “Are you ready to introduce Donald?” he asks. “Rich Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki introducing The Donald. The crowd loves it.”
Donald Trump emerges from the green room and walks over to where we are standing. After a few private words with the promoter, Donald turns to me and says, “Hello again. You’re introducing me?” I nod in response.
“Great, I see you’re still on The New York Times best seller list,” says Donald. “That’s amazing.” Then he lowers his voice just a notch. “I want to talk to you about something. Have you got time right now?”
“Of course,” I reply.
“You’re the number one personal-finance author, and I’m the number one business author. We should do a book together. What do you think?”
Stunned by the offer, I am speechless.
I recover and reply, “Great idea. Let’s do it.”
I extend my hand to see if he’s serious about this book idea. He is, and we shake. Donald then turns to Keith, his imposing bodyguard, and says, “Give Robert my card.”
Keith, the six-foot-three bodyguard suddenly stops being an intimidating figure, smiles, breaks out a gold card case and hands me one of Donald Trump’s personal business cards.
“Call me the next time you’re in New York, and we’ll begin putting the book together,” says Donald. “I’ll introduce you to Meredith. She’ll help us on the project.”
Soon it’s show time, so I turn and head for the stage where more than 24,000 Chicago fans in the main hall and satellite rooms are waiting for Donald Trump. As soon as I am finished with my brief introduction, the theme song from the mega-hit television show, The Apprentice, comes on, thousands of gold balloons fall from the ceiling, and the crowd erupts with applause as Donald Trump walks onstage.
The Long Ride Home
Flying home from Chicago to Phoenix, the reality of that handshake set in. “Who am I to write a book with Donald Trump?” I kept asking myself. “And what would we write about?”
“Care for a blanket?” the flight attendant asked, snapping me out of my turmoil.
“No, thank you,” I replied with a smile.
As soon as the flight attendant walked away an idea popped into my head: We could write about real estate.
With that thought, my personal critic chimed in, the critic who had been torturing me ever since the book idea was proposed. My critic cynically asked, “You and Donald Trump write a book on real estate? When it comes to real estate, Donald Trump is in the major leagues, and you’re in the Little League. He builds skyscrapers in New York. And what do you own? A few apartment houses, a few low-rise commercial buildings, and some raw land. Besides, he’s a billionaire, and you’re only a millionaire.”
Until now, I had been pretty satisfied with my accomplishments in life. But when considering a book with Donald Trump, my successes and accomplishments seemed very small and inconsequential. Instead of feeling honored to be asked to write a book with Donald Trump, I felt miserable. “What can we possibly write about?” I asked myself over and over again as the plane flew from Chicago to Phoenix.
The Boardroom
December 12, 2005
I was in New York to record a television program for PBS and to meet with Yahoo! Finance. Since I was to be in New York anyway, Meredith and I had agreed to meet to see if we could find the perfect book concept. On December 12th, my wife, Kim, and I took a cab to Donald Trump’s office…not just his office, his office building.
For those of you who have seen The Apprentice, you are probably familiar with the gilded entrance to Trump Tower on New York City’s famous Fifth Avenue. Standing on the sidewalk, I leaned back and let my gaze climb the heights, story after story until my eyes finally found the point where the building and the sky met. Trump Tower is definitely a lot bigger than any building Kim and I own. Although I had walked by the building many times, it looked much taller when I knew I was going inside for a meeting with Donald.
Being on Fifth Avenue brought back so many memories. I remembered looking up at buildings like this when I first came to New York to start school at the Merchant Marine Academy in 1965. I was a poor Hawaiian kid in the Big City for the first time.
And here I was, 40 years later, invited by Donald Trump to his office and his building. At that moment, I had a major reality check.
Most people consider me to be very successful. I have made and lost millions of dollars following the principles that I share in the Rich Dad books. But standing in front of Trump Tower, I suddenly realized how far I had come. It was an incredible feeling.
I remembered one of Donald’s favorite sayings, “Think big!” Just by standing in front of his building, I realized how much bigger my thinking was that day than it was when I had first arrived in New York in 1965. “Wow!” I said aloud. Kim just squeezed my hand.
Taking a deep breath, we entered Trump Tower and proceeded to the elevators where security guards greeted us. Once cleared, we entered the elevator and rode it to one of the top floors from which Donald runs his empire.
If you have watched The Apprentice, you are familiar with the entrance to Donald Trump’s office with the attractive receptionist guarding the door. (For those of you with inquiring minds, Donald had a replica of his office built a few floors below his office for the television show. Instead of walking into his real boardroom, he takes an elevator down and walks into the replica of his boardroom.) Although I had watched the program many times, never did I ever think that I might one day be walking into Donald Trump’s world.
It was a strange experience to feel like I was on the set of the show. My mind continually flashed back and forth between the television show and real life.
The first person to greet us, once the receptionist had us take a seat, was Keith, Donald Trump’s giant bodyguard. When he saw us, Keith took the time to greet us warmly as if we were old friends. He sat down next to us and made us feel completely at home. I could not believe how gracious he was as he told us about his previous career as a New York City detective and his current career as a personal bodyguard for Donald. He stayed with us, offered us water and kept us company until the door to the main office opened and Meredith walked in.
Meredith is the classic young New York City executive woman, an attractive woman who would be perfectly at home in London, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto or Beijing. She extended her hand and offered us a warm smile as she said, “Great to finally meet you.”
After thanking Keith for his graciousness, Kim and I followed Meredith through the glass doors and into the boardroom, the real boardroom. As we took our seats, my mind again began to flash to scenes from the television program, with male and female apprentice candidates sitting across the table Donald and his advisors. I silently asked myself, “What are you doing here? How did you get here?” (Actually, the words I really used were, “What the (bleep) am I doing here?” And, “How the (bleep) did I get here?”).
After a few minutes of chatting, Meredith asked, “What would you like to write about?”
“Well, I am very concerned about poverty,” I replied. “I believe we could write about what we would do to end it. The title could be Ending Poverty.”
Meredith nodded. “That could be a possible subject.”
“Or, I’m concerned about how the rich are getting richer, but America as a nation gets poorer. We could write about the demise of the middle class and the poor; how high-paying jobs are being exported to China and India. I’ve also been concerned for a long time about pensions disappearing and Social Security and Medicare going broke just as baby boomers begin to retire.”
“Mr. Trump is also very concerned about those issues,” Meredith said. “He wrote a great book about it.”
“The America We Deserve,” Kim said.
“Yes,” replied Meredith. “He wrote about his concern with those issues as well as the threat of terrorist attacks even before the attack on September 11th.”
“Before 9/11?” asked Kim.
Meredith nodded, “He has a whole section not only on terrorism, but he also talks about the out-of-control national debt. But he doesn’t just identify problems; he also goes into his unique solutions.”
Kim nodded. She had loved the book.
Meredith continued, “There is a lot more to Mr. Trump than simply television shows, beauty pageants, casinos and real estate. Anyone concerned with our current global problems and how to solve them should read his book.”
“So we definitely have some issues in common. We have both been teachers and speakers. I find it interesting that such a rich and famous celebrity as Donald Trump would speak to the general public. In fact, I have been curious about why he teaches. But we’re both always in such a hurry, I never get a chance to ask him.”
“He’s a natural teacher,” Meredith said. “I’ve seen that over the years working for him. Just look at The Apprentice. When Mark Burnett proposed the idea for the show to him, Mr. Trump insisted the show have educational value or he wouldn’t do it.”
“Exactly,” Kim said. “I watch for the lessons in business. And I like learning how he handles different situations. But the best part is how he shares the thought process behind his actions. I like knowing why he fires someone.”
I said, “The Apprentice is entertaining as well as educational. I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time. I always feel I’ve learned something practical, something I can use.”
“Maybe the angle of this book is that you are both teachers,” Kim chimed in. “After all, you both are entrepreneurs and real estate investors. You founded a gold-mining company in China and took it public, also a real estate investment company, a silver-mining company in South America, and an oil company. Lots of people know that, just like they know about Trump Tower and Trump Place. But they don’t know the two of you are teachers.”
Most rich people don’t want others to know how they got rich, much less tell people about their failures…
I want people to know because it’s how I learned so much. I want people to know that, rich or poor, we all have financial problems.
– Robert T. Kiyosaki
“I failed to find oil,” I said sarcastically.
Kim laughed. “Not every business succeeds,” she said.
“And Mr. Trump has not always succeeded,” added Meredith. “He’s had his challenges, too.”
“He was very public about his financial challenges in The Art of the Comeback,” Kim said. “That was a great book, too.”
Meredith smiled and nodded, “In spite of your financial challenges, you have both been very public about your successes as well as your failures. Tell me, why have you been so open about your financial troubles?”
“Because I want people to know that it’s how I learned so much. I want people to know that, rich or poor, we all have financial problems,” I answered.
“Exactly! Mr. Trump is the same. He truly wants people to learn. That’s why he shares his wins as well as his losses. How many other rich people will do that?”
“Not many,” I said. “Most rich people don’t want others to know how they got rich…much less tell people about their failures…and that includes my rich dad’s family.”
“How so?”
I looked to Kim, and she smiled reassuringly. “After I wrote Rich Dad Poor Dad,” I said, “I took the book to his family, and the family asked that their family name not be disclosed in the book…even though I said nothing bad about my rich dad. They simply didn’t want anyone to know how they got rich. So to respect their wishes, I have not disclosed the name of my rich dad.”
“And has that caused you problems?” asked Meredith.
“Yes,” I replied. “Some people have even called me a liar, saying there never was a rich dad.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Kim said. “All Robert was doing was respecting the wishes of the family.” We respect their privacy. This was a sore subject for both of us. “Most rich people want to keep their success secrets to themselves.”
“Which is where you and Mr. Trump are different from other rich people,” smiled Meredith. “You are both teachers and are willing to share what you know, in spite of the criticism.”
“Mr. Trump is criticized for teaching and sharing his knowledge, too?” asked Kim.
“Oh, yes. More than you know.” said Meredith. “A lot of people think he talks and writes and creates educational products like his TV show and his board game because he wants more publicity or more money. While he does make more money and the publicity is good, his primary motive is to teach and educate people. He really wants others to become rich. He is very concerned about the financial situation our nation and people face. He is worried about how mismanaged our economy is and how it will affect the world. He wonders why there is no financial education in our schools. That’s why he is very generous with his knowledge.”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Rhona, Donald’s personal assistant. She said, “Mr. Trump will see you in five minutes, and he apologizes for the delay. He hates to keep people waiting, but he was tied up on a phone call.”
“Not a problem,” I said. “The extra time with Meredith has been useful.”
After Rhona left, Meredith stood to lead us out of the boardroom. I looked around the plush interior and thought back to places I had worked. “You know,” I said, “Donald and I both had rich dads who we learned from and often worked for. So, in many ways, we were both apprentices as youngsters.”
“So maybe what you have in common is that you really are teachers, and you can become mentors to the world,” Meredith said as we headed out of the boardroom and across the hall to Donald Trump’s office.
A Meeting of Minds
“Welcome,” Donald Trump said, standing up from behind his desk. “My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
“Not a problem,” I replied as I looked around his office, noticing all the awards and plaques and gifts from people all over the world. Beside his desk was the radio equipment he uses for his weekly radio show. It was all very impressive.
After the usual pleasantries, we got around to why we were meeting in the first place. “So what should our book be about?” asked Donald.
“I believe we’ve all had the same question,” I replied. “Since there is such a wide gap between our respective real estate dealings as well as the size of our respective financial statements, I don’t think we match when it comes to money. After all, you’re a billionaire, and I’m a mere millionaire.”
Donald chuckled. “Don’t ever put down being a millionaire. Billions of people would love to trade places with you financially.”
“I realize that, but there is a definite difference between millions and billions. After all, today, there are many millionaires who are actually broke.”
“What do you mean, exactly?” asked Donald.
“Well, we all know people whose homes have increased in value but their incomes have not. For example, I have a classmate from Hawaii who inherited his parents’ home after they died. Since the real estate prices have skyrocketed and the house has no debt on it, he is technically a net-worth millionaire, but he and his wife still struggle financially because they earn less than $90,000 a year. They have three kids in school and are wondering about how to afford their college educations.”
“So they are asset-rich and cash-poor,” said Donald.
“Yes. They are millionaires on paper, but very middle class in reality. If one of them or their children becomes ill, they could easily slip into poverty.”
“That does happen to a lot of people, especially after they retire and stop working. They have to sell everything if they become ill, just to survive,” added Donald with a somber tone.
“And the problem will grow as the baby-boom generation retires in a few years.”
“Yes, I know,” said Donald. “Even more than Social Security, Medicare is the biggest debt our nation bears. I don’t know how we will afford to pay for 75 million new retirees, their health care, their medicine, and their long-term care once they grow really old. I worry about my kids’ generation and how they will afford to pay for our generation’s financial dependence upon our government.”
“Maybe that is what we should write about,” I said.
“Well, I did write about it in The America We Deserve. Though it never got the readership I would have liked. I think it was my best book because it was about the problems we face, not just about getting rich. But it didn’t sell nearly as many copies as my other books.”
“I had one of those books, too,” I said. “It was Rich Dad’s Prophecy, released in 2002. It’s about the demise of the stock market when baby boomers retire and the inadequacies of our 401(k) plans. It’s also about how a lot of workers will lose their pensions and retirement in the near future.”
“And it didn’t sell either?” asked Donald.
“No. Like your book, many people said it was my best book, yet it didn’t sell like it. But even worse was the Wall Street publications that didn’t appreciate my predictions.”
“What happened?” asked Donald.
“It upset me for a while. And frustrated me. Then, just a few months ago, both the New York Times Magazine and TIME magazine ran cover stories saying almost the same things I was saying in 2002.”
“And what did they say?” asked Donald.
Since I had both publications with me for my PBS show, I pulled them out of my briefcase. “This is the October 31, 2005 issue of TIME magazine. The cover headline is, ‘The Great Retirement Ripoff.’ The subtitle says, ‘Millions of Americans who think they will retire with benefits are in for a nasty surprise. How corporations are picking people’s pockets—with the help of Congress.’”
“Yes! I did read that,” said Donald. “I remember that part about corporations picking pockets with the help of Congress. The article said the rich are stealing from the workers, legally, with the government’s help.”
“Isn’t that disturbing?” I asked.
“And what did the New York Times Magazine say?” asked Donald.
Lifting up the publication, I said, “Well, the cover on October 30, 2005 reads, ‘We Regret To Inform You That You No Longer Have A Pension.’ The subtitle states, ‘America’s next financial debacle.’”
Donald nodded. “You and I have been concerned about many of the same things.”
“It seems that way. That’s why I teach, write, and create board games. It’s not for the money, although the money is good. There are far easier ways to make money. I teach and create educational products out of a deep concern. I believe our country is in trouble and so are millions of our people.”
“Me, too,” said Donald. “When you and I do events and speaking engagements, we often travel for two days, just to deliver a talk. That’s a lot of time and energy for a two-hour talk. As you say, there are much easier ways to make money.”
Kim and I nodded in unison. Kim, who teaches as well, added, “We all make more money, much easier money, in real estate and other investments. Yet teaching is our passion. It is passion that gets us on those planes to fly all day, spend a night, deliver a short talk, and then fly back home. It’s sure not the money.”
Donald agreed. “When we speak to those large groups of people, don’t you feel for those people? Here they are, spending time and money to listen to us. While some are already rich and some will become rich, many will face lives of constant financial struggle. That breaks my heart.”
“Maybe this is what you need to write about,” said Meredith. “Maybe people need to know why you want them to be rich. What your concerns are.”
“Also,” interjected Kim, “why you two keep working even though you don’t have to. You both have enough money, but you’re not planning to retire. Why not write about what keeps you going…what really drives you. Isn’t motivation more important than money?”
“Well, I teach because I like to teach,” said Donald. “But I am truly concerned. I hope I’m wrong, but I think America is in financial trouble. I believe our government has been grossly mismanaged. Now, I’m not saying it’s because of the Democrats or Republicans. It’s senseless to point the finger and blame one group or another. I’m afraid the middle class is in trouble and shrinking no matter which party is in charge. As I have often said, I’m afraid many of today’s middle class will become the new poor, or worse, slip into poverty, even after years of hard work.”
“Maybe we should write a book about ending poverty through financial education,” I said. “After all, it is the lack of financial education that got us into this mess. Why not let financial education get us out?”
“Great idea, but we need to let people know how to save themselves before we attempt to end poverty on a global scale…which may take generations. We need to do that first—before we can hope to change the education system.”
He continued: “In just a few years, millions of baby boomers will retire, the government will have to admit it is out of money, the price of oil is going through the roof, our dollar is dropping in value, inflation is out of control, and we are still at war in the Middle East. We need to have some answers for those who are searching for answers now We need to teach people to be rich, or at least how to survive the next few years today…not tomorrow.”
At that moment, I knew why we were coming together to write a book.
Donald’s View
The Beginning
The first time I met Robert Kiyosaki was one of those big surprises that life likes to give us now and then. I knew of Robert’s credentials, namely having sold millions of books and remaining on The New York Times best seller list for five years. These are no simple accomplishments. I expected him to be a powerhouse, and an intimidating one at that.
I was right about the powerhouse prediction—Robert has positive energy that spills out and touches everyone around him. He doesn’t seem to be making an effort to do this. It’s just a natural occurrence. I was impressed by that. What I found disarming about Robert was that he was very humble, very modest, even self-effacing. This was the guy who has sold over 26 million books? Amazing. I was wondering to myself if that was an act, a facade, a role he played for some reason. I can be skeptical sometimes.
It didn’t take me long to figure out that Robert was genuine. After we spoke a few times, I knew he was sincere and that he enjoyed teaching—probably as much as I do. When I told him the only reason I agreed to do The Apprentice was because it had an educational subtext, Robert told me, “Donald, you’re a teacher, on top of everything else!” Guess it takes one to know one.
We got to talking about the importance of education and he mentioned the mentor aspect of The Apprentice, and that he and Kim learned something from it every week.
I asked him what he would do if he knew he couldn’t fail, and he quickly said, “We’d find ways to reach and teach many more people.”
It was like I told him when I saw him in Chicago: I was the top business author and he was the top personal-finance author. Together we had a great shot at reaching millions of people. But more than that, it would be fun.
Robert got what I meant immediately, but I appreciated that he wanted to think about the book before committing to me. I knew he was a thoughtful person, that he would do a lot of soul-searching in order to make the right decision. When he met with me at my office in New York a few weeks later, he said right off the bat, “I have to admit I was a little intimidated at first. It was like an inner fight going on. I didn’t know if we had enough in common. But the best person won—the one who refuses complacency!” Robert was honest with himself and me, and it confirmed for me why his books have been such monster hits.
Writing books can be enjoyable, but it’s a lot of work, and my schedule doesn’t allow for much extracurricular activity, which is what writing books can be for me. But I found myself looking forward to working hard on something new—especially with someone who shared my concerns and hopes.
Emerson said, “The man who can make hard things easy is the educator.” He also said, “Knowledge exists to be imparted.”
When I read Rich Dad Poor Dad years ago, before I ever met Robert, I remember thinking that Robert had a knack for making things easy to comprehend. He’s a bit of a storyteller, and that is one of the keys to making things accessible to people. It’s another reason he’s a great public speaker, and people have often said the same thing about me. I don’t know if we have that “raconteur” ability naturally, but it has helped us to help others—and to use stories to make seemingly complex things a bit simpler.
I know that often when people think of me, they think, “Oh, the billionaire…” and it’s a bit like having the door shut in my face. My son, Don Jr., has said that I’m like a blue-collar guy with a big bankroll, if that’s any insight into my persona. He’s spent a lot of time with me, and he knows I’m pretty simple at my core. That doesn’t mean I’m easy, but I do have a simple approach to things. And while what I do can be very complex, I also know how to break it down. You don’t start with a finished skyscraper—you start with a blueprint and a foundation. I’m aware that things take time and patience, and that applies to education, too.
If you’ve watched The Apprentice, you know that we are tough on the apprentices because real life doesn’t give a lot of room or sympathy for excuses. As the old saying goes, Life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s the real thing. So there’s a certain amount of living on the edge that’s needed if one is to excel. Robert and I are hoping to make that edge a little less scary and a little more attainable at the same time.
I will admit that people I know were surprised to hear I was going to collaborate with another entrepreneur to write a book. Entrepreneurs very much like being in control, and sharing the control is not high on our list of desirable situations. But when you meet someone who is on the same wavelength in so many ways, it becomes a pleasure. Joining forces makes us stronger, not weaker.
In fact, one of the weaknesses of many visionaries and entrepreneurs is the inability to successfully share their visions and goals. It can be a lonely road. The old saying, It’s lonely at the top—but not crowded, can sometimes be true.
Entrepreneurs are people who like to try something new. Collaborating in this way is something new for both Robert and me, and I think we’ve enhanced each other as educators, speakers and people by bringing our diverse personalities together to achieve a whole that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. What’s the point of having great knowledge and keeping it to yourself?
Here’s another amusing point: Entrepreneurs are often marked by avoiding group efforts. They want to be in charge. They want to do it themselves, have it for themselves, and so be it. At least that’s what the experts have said when analyzing personality types suitable to entrepreneurship. I guess Robert and I just don’t fit the mold. But I don’t think that bothers either of us too much.
What has evolved in this process took on a life of its own, and it became more than just another book with a proper outline. It has become a living example of what we worked on and lived through together from our initial meeting to the day we finished our first draft. It quickly became a joint effort to provide financial education to anyone seeking a better life at a time when we all need to be financially equipped for the future we face.
What’s the point of having great knowledge and keeping it to yourself?
– Donald J. Trump
This book is for anyone who wants to move forward and get out of their comfort zone. You may be a millionaire already, or maybe not yet, but the lessons here can apply to everyone, no matter what your current financial circumstances might be.
I hope you will see the process as one from which you can learn while being entertained. There is nothing boring about business, which you are soon to discover. Robert and I have another thing in common—neither of us likes to be bored. We like to get things done. So pay attention, keep your focus, and enjoy yourself. Why We Want You to be Rich—Two Men • One Message has a lot to offer. Tune in, and stay tuned!
