Billionaire Strategies
So you want to learn how to become a billionaire?
Well, you came to the right place. Let me recommend a couple of books for your study. Be advised that I won't refer you to any of those manuals which claim to provide a roadmap to becoming a millionaire or billionaire. Likewise, I will ignore the books consisting of interviews with a smorgazbord of tycoons who offer free tips but few details on how to make it as big as they did. Ditto for self-congratulatory autobiographies.
Being a skeptic by nature, I'm far more interested what people do rather than in what they say. The best way to find out what tycoons did is to read books written by impartial observers such as business journalists and historians, in my humble opinion.
Last night I started reading Business 2.0 writer Om Malik's book, Broadbandits, about the men who amassed, and in some cases lost, huge fortunes in the broadband bubble of the late 1990s and early 00s. I stayed up till 2 am reading this book because I simply couldn't put it down. Currently, I'm only half way through it so won't comment in detail until later. However, it gets a strong buy recommendation from me because it does a fine job of detailing how these men built their companies.
Broadbandits reminds me of another book I enjoyed thoroughly. The book is the classic by Matthew Josephson, The Robber Barons, about the railroad, oil, and steel tycoons of late 19th century. I first read this one over ten years ago and consider it one of my favorite business books.
The reason I recommend these two books is because a careful study of both reveals that the basic business strategies for amassing great wealth are the same today as they have always been. Only the technology has changed.
So, if you're dead serious about building wealth as a captain of industry, go with these books instead of the narcissistic pablum from people like The Donald and his co-wealth gurus.
If you feel stymied in your efforts by a lack of capital, learn how the elite Inc 500 entrepreneurs created money out of thin air to launch their companies. Get the Smart Startup Guide to learn how business startups are financed the creative way.
Read up on how Google has used a basic billionaire strategy to achieve dominance.
If you are serious about learning how billionaires become billionaires, enroll in the Billionaire Strategies Course.
You have to have thick skin and self confidence to have a shot at being a billionaire:
In a classic confrontation over Icahn's hostile bid for Phillps Petroleum, Morgan Stanley investment banker Joe Fogg declared the proposal preposterous. "What the hell do you know about the oil business?" he demanded to know. "You don't understand, Joe," Ichan calmly replied, "I'm not here for an interview".
Posted by: Neil Logren | August 01, 2007 at 09:45 PM
Peter,
Didn't most of the guys in Braodbandits end up in jail or at least losing most of their wealth?
Posted by: Gary | August 02, 2007 at 02:20 PM
I'm fucking tired of this bullshit. I have begun to seriously detest my life and working in a cubicle.
What can I do to start my own business, and would it be worth it? Or should I just give up and stay with the job?
Posted by: Bertie Wooster | August 02, 2007 at 02:40 PM