We have read how Louie Yakich became a billionaire in this site. Using DDC (Dream Determination and Connection. He is an American (with dual citizenship and how he did this is awe inspiring)
How about a story from a Filipino. Mareng Winnie Monsod interviewd David Consunji, now 92 who hails from Bataan, a rags to richest construction man. He is the 5th richest man in the Philippines with $2.7 billion in networth (or roughly P114 billion) He has 5 principles:
1. Take the risk
2. Watch your spending (be frugal)
3. Diversify your holdings
4. Do good business.
Here he says you can start becoming a billionaire when you start "serving people"
So you may not be rich Peso or Dollar wise, but when you serve people, in many respect, you are a billionaire (in a spiritual way)
The full article:
1. Take the risk
According to a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey, seven of 10 Filipino households are not entrepreneurs, preferring to earn a salary than invest money in a business venture. Similarly, Consunji said in Filipino, he knew that employment would mean a more stable and higher paycheck.
Nevertheless, he and a few friends invested their money in a small shop, a truck, a cement mixer, and began looking for construction jobs around town. Business ventures are risky by nature, but Consunji's story shows that persistence, intelligence, and guts can pay off.
2. Watch your spending
“Sabi ng ama ko,” Consunji said, “huwag mong gayahin ang masamang ugali ng mga tao.” His father told him to always keep in mind the adage: “Ubos-ubos biyaya; pag-naubos, nakatunganga.”
Saving is an integral part to accumulating wealth, but it doesn’t always mean going the full Scrooge McDuck. Consunji encouraged viewers to keep a simple lifestyle and avoid buying more than what they need. Despite having enough wealth to afford the most exquisite cuisine in the world, Consunji said his breakfast remains ordinary: he prefers to start his day with cornflakes, tuyo, paksiw, or torta.
3. Diversify your holdings.
Spreading your assets over various interests is the best way to ensure a steady flow of income. Consunji doesn’t rely solely on construction for his profits, but has investments in mining (Semirara Mining Corporation), water (DMCI-MPI Water Company) and energy (DMCI Power Corporation).
4. Do good business.
As a small construction contractor, Consunji didn’t have the connections to catapult him to the top. He did, however, make sure his clients’ expectations were well-met. He got his big break when he finished a Coca-Cola plant for tycoon Don Andres Soriano in 1951, who was impressed that Consunji finished the job nearly half a year earlier than expected.
When he served as Secretary of the Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications during the Marcos years, Consunji revealed that when he was removed from office, the president privately told him it was because of his intolerance for shady deals.
Today, as ever, Consunji said he has always taken pride in rendering good service to those who have placed trust in him.
“Dave Consunji,” said Mareng Winnie, “is proof that nice guys do not always finish last.
Seriously, how do you become a billionaire
From my top business
1. Dream - similar to Louies formula
2. Take risk (similar to David Consunji
3. Increase your business skills
4. Find business ideas
5. Find a business coach or mentor (or model)
6. Start a business
You do not become rich by being an employee
The full article
Top Small Business ideas for Beginners
Top Business ideas
Innovative Million Dollar ideas for Smart Entrepreneurs
How to Become a Billionaire
Do you want to learn how to become a billionaire in 10 years or less? What would you do if you had a billion dollars? If I were to present you with a step by step plan on how to be a billionaire (as told by the self made billionaires), will you be willing to learn? If your answer to the last question is yes, please read on.
“We are self made, or never made.” – Dr Sidney Newton
I
am Ajaero Tony Martins, an entrepreneur, investor and founder of this
blog. For many years, i have been teaching entrepreneurs how to start a
business and today, I want to share with you a practical step by step approach to becoming a self made billionaire. Sincerely speaking, I know I am not qualified to teach you how to become a billionaire because I am not yet one but on the other way round; It’s my ultimate dream to become a billionaire in my lifetime
and I have been taking mentorship lessons from these billionaires. So
it’s these lessons I have received that I want to pass across to you.“If you can count your millions, you are not a billionaire.” – J. Paul Getty
Since
I am on a journey to become a billionaire; I think it’s worthwhile I
share with you my plan and the steps I intend to take to achieve that
goal. I want to clearly state that all I have now is just a dream, a
strong will and a plan to become a billionaire; nothing more, nothing
less.
P.S: When i first wrote this article about my dream to become a billionaire (10th November 2010), i had nothing, not even cash. All i had was a dream and a plan. I was simply following my mentors advice (Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump) to think big and start small. Fast forward to today (January 1st 2014), i can proudly say that i am a Multi-Milli****** with successful businesses + hard and paper assets. Now i don’t know if i will still hit the goal to make a billion dollars but i promise you i will keep pushing for it till my brain fails me. – Ajaero Tony Martins
Now What Does it Take to Become a Billionaire Fast?
After
understudying the lives of billionaires such as Bill Gates, John D.
Rockefeller, Henry Ford, J. Paul Getty and Aliko Dangote; I came to a
conclusion that it takes nothing special to become a billionaire. After
all, most of the richest people in the world today were school drop out
billionaires. To become a billionaire, all you need is a dream, a strong
will and a fast plan. Once these three things are in place, the journey
has commenced.
“It is my utmost desire to become a billionaire in my life time and also give away billions of dollars. I don’t think any paid employment on earth can help me achieve that dream. If I become a billionaire in my life time, I will just be another self made entrepreneur on the list. But if I don’t; I will die knowing I gave that dream my best shot.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
How does one become a self made billionaire Fast?
My answer is I don’t know. There’s no outlined format, path or pattern to becoming a billionaire. In the book “Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing,”
Robert Kiyosaki highlighted that there several ways to become rich. He
stated that you can become rich by inheritance, by being a crook or by
marrying someone rich.
Well, I see some truth in
the statement above. The Walton family today are billionaires; thanks
to an inheritance from the founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton. There are
also billionaire drug lords and ladies; who acquired wealth by crooked
means and there are billionaire sports personalities and stars like Tiger Woods and Jay-Z.
Now in retrospect, there are those who marry for money; that is why the
media is occasionally filled with stories of billion dollar divorce
lawsuits.
“I think it is a man’s duty to make all the money he can, keep all that he can and give away all that he can.” – John D. Rockefeller
So
how do I intend to become a billionaire? I don’t know. All I can say is
that I intend to become a billionaire the same way my mentors and
models such as Warren Buffett, Aliko Dangote and Larry Ellison have done it. I intend to apply the same strategy they applied.
“If you want to successfully go up the mountain, ask the man who has gone through it to and fro.” – Zen Master
How long does it take to become a billionaire?
If
you observe the entrepreneurial path of successful entrepreneurs; you
will come to understand the fact that there was no set time or guarantee
that they would emerge billionaires. These successful entrepreneurs
just started the journey, maintained focus and one day, they emerged
billionaires.
“Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.” – Warren Buffett
So how long will it take me to become a billionaire? I don’t know because I might never get there. It took Aliko Dangote approximately 30 years to become a billionaire and emerge the richest black man in the world. It took John D. Rockefeller 25 years of oil drilling and distribution to become a billionaire. It approximately took 10 years for Bill Gates, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jerry Yang and David Filo to become billionaires. But Mark Zuckerberg became the youngest billionaire in the world in less than five years.
“Twenty years and $40 billion; they seem like good round numbers.” – Michael Dell“I was worth about over a million dollars when I was twenty-three and over ten million dollars when I was twenty-four, and over a hundred million dollars when I was twenty-five and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money.” – Steve Jobs
So
if it’s your goal to become a billionaire in your lifetime, then just
start the process and forget about the time it would take to get there.
After all, Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination.
“The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and continue to work. Life is a journey, not a destination. That’s also true in business; your objectives keep moving.” – Thomas J. Burrell
How to Become a Self Made Billionaire
1. Start with a dream“I intend to be, the richest man in the world.” – Howard Hughes“It does not take money to make money.” – Robert Kiyosaki
Becoming
a billionaire begins with a dream. One of the free gifts given to us by
our creator is the gift of imagination. It costs nothing to dream but
most people don’t dare to dream and those who do, dream small.
“People who dream small dreams continue to live as small people.” – Rich Dad“Aim for the highest.” – Andrew Carnegie
On
several occasions, I have shared my dream with friends and all I got
were fingers pointing at me saying; “you must be a joker.” Do statements
like that deter me? My answer is no. I still continue to dream big and
pursue that dream vigorously. If becoming a billionaire is your lifetime
goal; then allow your mind to wander; dream big and shut your ears to
critics.
2. Develop the billionaire’s mindset“I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.” – Warren“You are nuts and you should be proud of it. Stick with what you believe in.” – Trip Hawkins“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day and find out that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.” – T. E. Lawrence
“If I lose a billion dollars, I will have it back in less than five years.” – Henry Ford
The
second step to becoming a billionaire is to develop the mindset of
billionaires. Do you know that the thinking capacity of millionaires
differ from that of billionaires? To become a billionaire, you must
develop your mindset to accommodate that status. You must think big and
you must also increase your capacity to handle the corresponding risk.
“You must take risks, both with your own money or with borrowed money. Risk taking is essential to business growth.” – J. Paul Getty
Becoming
a billionaire means being willing to risk failure; you must also bear
in mind that achieving any worthwhile goal in life requires sacrifice.
You must see possibilities in the actualization of your dreams and
ultimately, you must train your eyes to see opportunities disguised as
problems; you must see opportunities others don’t see.
3. Increase your business skills“Someone asked me, ‘how can I find a good business opportunity? I replied, ‘go and look for adversity.’ If you can handle adversity, you will find opportunity. Adversity and opportunity are two inseparable twins.” – Ajaero Tony Martins“A good businessman must have nose for business the same way a journalist has nose for news. Once your eyes, ears, nose, heart and brain are trained on business, you sniff business opportunities everywhere. In places where people see a lot of obstacles, I see a lot of opportunities.” – Orji Uzor Kalu“If you want to go broke; go it big. I will prefer to lose a billion dollars than to lose a million dollars.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
“Skills make you rich, not theories.” – Rich Dad
Increasing
your business skills is essential to the entrepreneurial process. In
fact, becoming a billionaire requires more than just business skills. It
require financial intelligence, strong intra personal skills and
investing skill. Making money is a skilled act; making money is all
about utilizing your acquired entrepreneurial skills.
4. Develop a fast business idea“The ability to sell is the number one skill in business. If you cannot sell, don’t bother thinking about becoming a business owner.” – Rich Dad
“There are fast ideas and slow ideas, just as there are fast trains and slow trains. When it comes to money, most people are on the slow train looking out the window watching the fast train pass them by. If you want to become rich quickly, your plan must include fast ideas.” – Rich Dad
From
my personal point of view, this is where the work begins in the
entrepreneurial process to becoming a billionaire. To achieve your dream
of becoming a billionaire, you need a fast business idea; accompanied by a fast plan.
“All achievements, all earned riches have their beginning in an idea.” – Andrew Carnegie
Now
what do I mean by a fast business idea and a fast plan? In previous
articles, I stressed the point that the world is filled with brilliant
ideas but the world lack seasoned entrepreneurs. This is why I
emphasized you increase your business skills before ever starting a
business; the world is filled with brilliant ideas.
Any
idea can take you to the place of your dreams but if becoming a
billionaire is your priority, then any idea is not enough. You need a
fast business idea. A fast business idea is an idea that’s hot in
demand; an idea that’s in line with the growing trend. A fast idea
solves a very critical problem and most times; fast ideas are always the
pioneer solution to people’s problems or needs.
As
an illustration to prove the importance of developing a fast idea, I
will share with you the following stories. Early 1900, there was a
growing demand for oil throughout the world and entrepreneurs such as
John D. Rockefeller and J. Paul Getty took advantage of this growing
demand; and they became billionaires. When the demand for affordable
means of transportation came up, Henry Ford took advantage of it and
became a billionaire; so also did Cornelius Vanderbilt.
“I have no complex about wealth. I have worked very hard for my money; producing things people need.” – J. Paul Getty
Aliko
Dangote saw a growing demand for commodities in Nigeria and he
positioned himself as a fast solution provider; today, he is not only a
billionaire but also the richest black man in the world. Computers came
as a trend and Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Ted Waitt and
Michael Dell developed fast ideas to take advantage of this trend; and
they ended up becoming billionaires.
“I’m the NO 1 developer in New York. I’m the biggest in Atlantic City, and maybe we will keep it that way.” – Donald Trump
The
internet came as a trend and Larry Page, Jerry Yang, Steve Case, Jeff
Bezos, Pierre Omidyar and Mark Zuckerberg developed fast ideas to take
advantage of the trend and they became billionaires. So if you want to
join this list of billionaires; you need to develop a fast business
idea. Now how do you develop a fast idea? I don’t know, but a great way to start is to ask yourself the question; “What is the next coming trend? Will it be biotechnology, alternative power, genetic engineering or something else? Only time will tell.
How to Become a Billionaire Fast
5. Find a business coach or mentor
Let
me divulge a secret to becoming a billionaire to you. If you are
mentored by a billionaire; chances are high that you will end up a
billionaire. I have seen young entrepreneurs perform excellently simply
because they are being mentored by billionaires. So when looking for a
business coach or mentor; find one that’s a billionaire already or has
direct access to billionaires
“Seek advice on risk from the wealthy who still take risks, not friends who dare nothing more than a football bet.” – J. Paul Getty
A
good way to go is to seek business mentors who are Venture Capitalists,
investment bankers, Angel investors and deal makers. Getting a business
coach from any of these fields will do you good and you will learn
tremendously from their wealth of experience. Now how do you break into
this circle of great men? My answer is I don’t know. All I can say is to
repeat what Winston Churchill said:
6. Start a business“He who must dig will surely find a spade; where there’s a will, there’s a way.” – Winston Churchill
“To build wealth today, you must be in your own business.” – J. Paul Getty
What
has starting a business got to do with becoming a billionaire? My
answer is everything. Take a look at the successful entrepreneurs who
are billionaires; take a look at the school drop out billionaires of
this world like Larry Ellison or Bill Gates and you will observe a
pattern. They all built mega businesses and those mega businesses made
them rich. To make you understand the point I am trying to buttress,
take a look at the list below.
How Billionaires Made their Money
- 1900 – Andrew Carnegie made his money from steel – $475 million
- 1910 – John D. Rockefeller became a billionaire in oil – $1.4 billion
- 1920 – Henry Ford became a billionaire in the auto industry – $1 billion
- 1940 – Howard Hughes became a billionaire with military aircrafts, contract, tools and movies – $1.5billion
- 1957 – J. Paul Getty became a billionaire in oil – $1 billion
- 1962 – Henry Ross Perot became a billionaire with EDS – $3.8 billion
- 1970 – Sam Walton took Wal-Mart public and became a billionaire – $22 billion
- 1980 – Ron Perelman made fortune as a Wall Street deal maker – $3.8 billion
- 1990 – Jerry Yang founded Yahoo! – $3.7 billion
- 2008 – Aliko Dangote became the richest black man in the world as a manufacturer – $3.3 billion
- 2010 – Mark Zuckerberg became a billionaire with FaceBook.com – $6 billion
“Build wealth as a byproduct of your business success. If wealth is your only objective in business, you will probably fail.” – J. Paul Getty
So
if these men became billionaires simply by building businesses; then
there’s surely a door way to becoming a billionaire through
entrepreneurship. Even Warren Buffett, the acclaimed richest investor in
the world made his money as an entrepreneur, by building and leveraging
Berkshire Hathaway. If you are already in business, then develop a fast
plan, stay focused on building your business and keep learning. You
will surely hit your goal even if it takes a long time.
7. Assemble a strong business team“The richest people in the world build networks; everyone else is trained to look for work.” – Rich Dad
A
strong business team is vital to achieving your dream of building a
business and becoming a billionaire. My mentor, Aliko Dangote; the
richest black man in the world once attributed his success to his
business management team and if you should take a critical look at his
statement, you will observe the truth in its entirety. No successful
entrepreneur ever became a billionaire alone; they all have a team of
professionals, who are smarter than they are.
“Successful businessmen share the ability to hire people smarter than they are.” – Dillard Munford
Your
business management team will really prove vital to you especially in
the game of raising venture capital. No venture capitalist or private
investor will invest in a business that lacks a strong team. Just as a
venture capitalist friend of mine told me in a discussion that:
“VCs would rather invest in a business venture with an average product and a strong management team than invest in a business with an excellent product with a weak management team.”
So whenever a protégé ask me the secret of raising capital successfully, I reply; “Go and assemble a strong business team.”
As simple as that answer may be, it’s the ultimate secret to raising
capital and eventually becoming a billionaire. Who’s on your team? This
is a million dollar question that most entrepreneurs take for granted.
So are you still interested in becoming a billionaire; then find a team
that will work with you towards the actualization of your goal.
8. Raise capital for your business“If you owe the bank $100, that’s your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that’s the bank’s problem.” – J. Paul Getty
Raising
capital is essential to the process of becoming a billionaire. In the
points I mentioned above, I emphasized the need to develop a fast
business plan and start a business. Now the flipside is that you will
require capital to leverage the potential of a fast business idea. You
can raise capital by approaching angel investors, Venture Capitalists
and private investors with your business idea.
But
I want to state clearly that there’s more to raising capital than
simply approaching investors and asking for money. Raising capital is a
process that requires continuous learning; you need to keep learning how
to pitch investors. The manner in which you pitch angel investors is
quite different from the way you pitch VCs; so you have to learn both.
But
ultimately, expect disappointments. A good piece of advice I normally
give to my protégés is to tell them to start a small business with
whatsoever they have. I believe in thinking big, starting small and
finishing big; I encourage them to also do the same. Facebook, Google,
Yahoo, Apple and Amazon all started small until the funding came. I also
started small and grew my capital base with time, so I expect you to do
the same. Start small but think big.
9. Take your company public“Despise not the days of little beginning.” – The Holy Bible
“Taking a company public is the rite of passage for any entrepreneur.” – Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing“Unfortunately, we are not a public company. We are a private group of companies and I can do what I want.” – Richard Branson
I
don’t believe going public is a key to becoming a billionaire, but
since most of the world’s billionaires all started companies that went
public; I had to become a believer. The dream of almost all
entrepreneurs is to see their company listed on the market. Analyzing
the Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Sam Walton and Martha Stewart experience;
I think going public is a big leap in your quest to become a
billionaire. Think of it as a kind of financial leverage; using other
people’s money to grow.
“If you are acquired, a company validates you. If you go public, the market – the world validates you.” – Fortune magazine
Nobody
can definitely force you to go public but if it’s a way forward for
you, then you better start learning the rudiments of building a company
that will end up going public because it is a task that requires great
responsibility.
10. Invest in other businesses“The new issues and IPO market is just like other businesses. The market is always looking for the flavor of the month. If you want to be very rich, part of your strategy as a business owner is to be building a company the market want, before the market wants it.” – Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing
“Once you have made it, you will understand that any business is limited in the challenges it offers. You will want and need other games to play, so you will look for other ventures to hold your interest.” – J. Paul Getty
This is probably the easiest
part in the process of becoming a billionaire. Whether you go public or
not, your business has the potential to make you a billionaire but to
maintain that status; you will have to make a couple of external
strategic investments. This is another scene where the need for a
business team comes into a play.
“Men of means look at making money as a game which they love to play.” – J. Paul Getty
- In February 1998, Warren Buffett disclosed that he had acquired 130million ounces of silver and stored it in a warehouse. Warren Buffett; at several intervals has made strategic investments in Goldman Sachs, Coca Cola and other companies.
- In September 1998, Canadian business ran an article indicating that Bill Gates has made a buy in silver, acquiring a 10.3% stake for $12million of a Canadian silver company listed on the Vancouver stock exchange.
- In 2010, a TV analysis on Oracle Corporation revealed that Larry Ellison has led Oracle to acquire 57 companies in a space of five years. If these self made billionaires are still investing even after hitting the pinnacle of success, why shouldn’t you.
“You must not only learn to live with tension, you must seek it out. You must learn to thrive on stress.” – J. Paul Getty
This
is probably the most difficult task of all. Most people are very good
at starting things but sticking to it until it yields result becomes a
problem. Success does not come overnight; it’s a product of continuous
unwavering effort. Just as every goal requires a process; so does the
goal to become a self made billionaire requires a process, and that
process is not an easy one.
“I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world in 2008 but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me thirty years to get to where I am today. Youths of today aspire to be like me but they want to achieve it overnight. It’s not going to work. To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.” – Aliko Dangote
Sticking
to the entrepreneurial process of becoming a billionaire implies
staying focused on your goal; while avoiding distractions and negative
influence. Sticking to the process may imply making a few sacrifices;
handling disappointments with a positive attitude and facing business
challenges bravely.
“Patience; this is the greatest business asset. Wait for the right time to make your moves.” – J. Paul Getty
As
a final note, i want to clearly state that becoming a billionaire is
within the reach of every individual but unfortunately, many will not
aim for it because anything worth having has a price tag; and many dread
the price of success. They would rather live in mediocrity than attempt
to go beyond their comfort zone. Now that i have taken the pain to
explain the process of becoming a billionaire fast, i believe the rest
is up to you. If becoming a billionaire is your dream, I encourage you
to pursue that dream vigorously and I will see you at the top.
“God is such a loving father. He gave everyone of us a blank signed check. Anything you write on that check will be yours. But unfortunately; most people die poor because they don’t dare to write something big on that check. That check is a gift called life.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
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