And having become financially free from <unnamed> scheme, I now have no higher aim than to assist others achieve freedom.
I strongly believe in putting back to the community, so have donated $<X> to charity.
Oh, and have I told you I'm a Christian, so you can trust me?
you forgot the key bit:
...so buy my book/DVD/CD/tickets to my Free Information Session.
I really do find these guys a joke.
I've been fortunate enough to meet and do business with a large number of seriously wealthy, self-made men (sorry ladies..they're all guys in my world).
These are the sort of people with houses that tourist buses/boats pause at and who buy boats where you don't get change out of $3-4M.
Not surprisingly they are very diverse personalities, though interestingly enough, not one has the vibe/character of any of the self-promoting gurus out there. Frankly they're more likely to come across as manic depressives the better you get to know them.
That said, to the extent they have anything in common, I'd characterise it as follows:
- They love what they do more than the cash in generates. It didn't start that way, necessarily, but invariably gets that way.
- They have excellent bullhsit meters and can pick a sucker bet a mile off.
- They spend as much time undrstanding risk as they do opportunity.
- They don't follow any gurus and haven't been to a motivational sessions in their lives. For some reason the most common reading material amongst the guys I now is historical biographies..go figure.
- They get good (if, occassionally expensive) advice from people who know more about stuff than they do and who can be trusted. Then they keep them.
- They know the businesses and industries they're in widely and deeply. They are prolific consumers of information directly and indirectly relevant to their world.
- They are realists and fiercely rationalist in their approach. If the world looks like it is going pearshaped they accept it and move on.
- Most drink too much.
All that said, in spite of the money most of the late night conversations still run along the lines of relationships, family and health. They're no happier than the rest of us.
Long ago I came to the conclusion that once you are financially capable of maintaining the basics, you work out that more cash won't compensate for a poor home life, bad health or the fear you should be doing something else.
I suspect it is no concidence that Bill Gates professes to be at his happiest giving his money away.....
FWIW
Edit: hang on...unattributed references, a long list stating the obvious....BUY MY BOOK!!!
