Make Yourself Rich

Why You Should Read This Book

The only people who say that money doesn't matter are poor and don't want to feel depressed about it. Or they've been too rich for too long to remember how miserable it is to have no money.

This book is for the rest of us. It tells you how striking out onto the path to riches will change you.

I cut through the confusion and mixed messages that characterise the acquisition of wealth. You hear talk about life being tough in the corporate jungle – what does this mean exactly? What kind of animals prowl around there? How does this relate to you? It is said that money changes people – how exactly? Should you be worried?

Do most self-help books about making money not ring true to you? Me neither; they talk about a world I don't recognize. The books describe a world that is fair and principled. Everybody wins by working together and companies prosper by delighting their customers.

Not to say that these factors don't play a part, but the full picture of how a small minority beguile their way into appropriating most of the planet's resources is rather different.

Most business writers don't speak from experience, or at least not their own first-hand experience. They are lecturers, bloggers, writers or journalists. They rely on secondhand information by interviewing people with money.

My story is based on nearly twenty years clawing my way up from penniless to self-made millionaire. I wish someone could have told me what I had to learn for myself the hard way. Spend a couple of hours reading the practical wealth tips in this book and you won't have to.

Why You Need to Take Action

Do you really want to be rich? Or are you just tired of being poor? After a century of generally rising living standards, during the past decade middle-class incomes in the US and Europe have slowed to a standstill. The doctors, teachers and architects who form the backbone of our society face the an uncertain financial future.

It's even worse for blue-collar workers. In the face of cheap immigrant workers undercutting the power of the unions, their incomes have flatlined now for twenty years. Nothing against people who come to a new country to seek a better life; they are bettering themselves like anyone else. It's just that the benefits of global migrations are not equally shared.

National incomes have risen, but the extra wealth has gone to the rich and the very rich. As we are all living longer, to make things worse, the wealth gap continues to widen in later life.

Easily the most common way that people become rich is by owning a business. Most of the rich are self-made these days. Globalization has given the rich a bonanza that shows no signs of letting up. Previously poor countries are industrializing and getting richer, creating new business opportunities and cheaper supply costs. Having far-flung global operations and an international lifestyle means the rich avoid paying taxes. Those who benefit the most pay the least.

None of this is right. But this book is not about righting wrongs. Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a fair world where everyone was justly rewarded? The truth is we don't. You can't beat the capitalist system. It overcame communism and nationalism. It is more powerful than governments. The system will crush you if you dare to challenge it. If you're not happy with your current situation, do yourself a favor and make the system work for you.

About the Author

From the dotcom frenzy to the present day, I've led businesses in Travel, Internet, Advertising, Telecoms, Gaming, and TV. I've mingled with the global super-rich from Moscow to Monaco. Everything I say is based on my own real-life experience. I made it from broke to millionaire. With this book, so can you.