The Trump Blog

In their new book Why We Want You to Be Rich, Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki discuss the 90/10 Rule, a simple principle that can get you started on the road to riches today.

What is the 90/10 Rule? Here’s your chance to find out now from two incredibly successful men.

Robert T. Kiyosaki’s Advice on the 90/10 Rule . . .

The 90/10 Rule of Money is something that my rich dad taught me about. I have written about it in Rich Dad, Poor Dad and my other books.

Simply put, in the game of money and the game of life too, 10 percent of the players win 90 percent of the money. For example, in golf, 10 percent of all professional players win 90 percent of the money, and 90 percent of the professional players split the remaining 10 percent.

The 90/10 Rule has served as a trusty rule of thumb in my life. It has helped me identify the things I can do to maximize my success and wealth. And I know it can help you too.

For example, one of the reasons I have not taken up the game of golf as a profession is simply because I do not think I could be in the top 10 percent. Not only do I believe I don’t have the talent, I do not have the desire. However, when I decided to write Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I was not only pretty certain my book could do very well. I knew the book could be extremely successful. I wanted to teach my ideas about success, and I wanted the book to win.

I was right. As an author, I am now in the top 10 percent. In fact, Rich Dad Poor Dad has been touted as the third longest-running best seller on the New York Times bestseller list. And now our new book, Why We Want You to Be Rich, has done very well too.

So if you want to boost your earning potential to new heights, stay fixed on that 10 percent where you can maximize your earning potential. And leave those other pursuits to other people.

And Donald J. Trump’s Advice . . .

I’ve known about the 90/10 Ratio for a long time, but Robert gives us all a good reminder about it.

Pretty soon, if we don’t start paying attention, it could reach the 95/05 ratio, or even 99/01, with 1 percent of the people owning 99 percent of the nation’s assets.

Winners shouldn’t let that happen, and I hope that includes you. How can you tap into the power of that 90/10 principle? It’s important to have dreams.

“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp,” as Robert Browning said. That’s what keeps us going.

I like to say, “If your reality begins with your dreams, your dreams will become your reality.”

Why is that? Because to think otherwise leaves us at the level of mere survival, which is not what most people want. Did you ever hear a young person say that he or she hoped to become a bum someday? I haven’t either.

Usually young people say that they want to be the president, an astronaut, a fireman or a doctor. Those are demanding and sometimes heroic professions and young people have the dreams and aspirations to match them.

Another way to get the rule working for you is to remain young at heart - to aim high and have the enthusiasm and the plans to achieve what you are aiming for.

Don’t hesitate to have wild dreams. They are so much better than having no dreams at all. Pay attention to your dreams, then focus on what it’s going to take to achieve them.

Today's post is adapted from Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message by Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki. Published by Rich Press.

In the 1930s, the German government had printed so much currency that its money nearly lost its value. One story tells of a woman who pulled a wheelbarrow full of money to buy some bread. When she came out of the baker's to get her money to pay for the bread, someone had stolen her wheelbarrow and left the money.

Hyperinflation devalues money. And while the social, political and financial environments that enabled Adolf Hitler to be elected German Chancellor in 1933 were complex, his rise to power was in no small part due to the middle class having their savings wiped out.

Back home, the 1930s brought the Great Depression, leading to Franklin Delano Roosevelt being elected president. Roosevelt brought in Social Security in 1935, a solution to a problem we still have to solve today. In other words, a solution to a problem caused over 75 years ago is again a problem today -- an even bigger problem, in fact. We are trying to solve a problem with government money, instead of solving the real problem. Other government programs that were meant to be solutions were Medicare (1955) and Medicaid (1966). Today, these problems are much bigger problems, again because we failed to address the real problems soon enough.

In 1971 President Nixon took us off the gold standard, which is exactly what the German government did, and today the U.S. dollar is falling and savers find their savings wiped out with very little left for retirement . . . except for Social Security and Medicare, which are also in trouble. History is repeating itself, only this time the problem is bigger.

What We Are Concerned About

Donald said it first: "I'm afraid we have developed an entitlement mentality as a nation. And I'm not talking about just poor people. Too many people, from the president and senators on down, expect a pension from the government. I really wish we could afford to solve their problems, but to do that would bankrupt our nation. We could ask the rich to pay for everyone, but would it solve the problem? And for how long would it even solve the problem?"

I agreed. Donald and I want people to let go of the entitlement mentality and become rich so they can solve the problem . . . their own problem.

The best way to solve the problem of bad financial results is to change our thoughts -- to start thinking like rich people rather than poor and middle-class people. That means losing the entitlement mentality --whether you are a military officer, government worker, schoolteacher, employee or just poor. If we do not stop expecting the government to take care of us, we will continue to have the same results -- a bankrupt nation filled with well-educated but financially needy people.

Back in the early 1990s, Donald J. Trump stirred up a big controversy in Phoenix, Arizona. He wanted to build a luxury high-rise residential building on Camelback Road between 24^th and 32^nd Streets - one of the most sought-after locations in Phoenix.

The problem was, Donald wanted to put up the tallest building in the city, and there were height restrictions. A controversy about the building raged for several years. Then in 1995, residents of the area voted that he would not be allowed to build his building.

To the astonishment of many people, Donald simply pulled out and did not pursue the matter further.

Some months later while we were working on our book, Why We Want You to Be Rich, our conversation turned to what had happened in Phoenix. And interesting to note, Donald was not disappointed in the outcome.

“If I can’t build the tallest and best building, I don’t want to build,” he said. Plus at the time he was working on something even bigger and better, a spectacular new building in Dubai. “Why should I be upset with Phoenix when I am working on this?” he said.

Donald could have battled on in Phoenix, won permission to build something smaller, and still made a lot of money from the project. But instead, he preferred to pursue larger dreams.

That underlying philosophy that Donald applied in Phoenix - to pursue the biggest dream you can and not compromise - is also the thesis of our book:

You succeed in life by pursuing big wins, not by avoiding small losses.

How can you apply that philosophy to your life? After all, you probably aren't concerned with building the tallest building in the citiy where you live. But remember, it is never too early to pursue the biggest dreams you can and to express high standards.

Even small properties can express lofty visions. And that is the way to success.

Editor’s note: To learn even more about building your real estate empire, enroll in The Real Estate Investor Training Program from Trump University. Classes are now forming.

An exclusive look between the covers of our new book, Why We Want You to Be Rich

Why We Want You To Be Rich: Two Men, One Message describes a path to wealth that you won't find in other books. We'd like to share some of our unusual advice today on the Trump blog.

You Need to Live Well toGet Rich

Most financial authors advise people to live below their means. One actually recommends taking your daily cappuccino money and investing it in mutual funds instead. We don't like that advice. It means living below your means. We believe in expanding your means instead. The real path to riches is to live bigger by playing to win - but in smart ways so that you do win.

You Must Invest to Win

Most financial experts tell you that the whole point of investing is to play is so safe that you cannot lose money. Those experts have it wrong. They're not focusing on winning. They're focusing on not losing. And that is a very big difference. The key to getting rich is to invest so intelligently that you win consistently.

Making Money Should Be Fun

Instead of sticking with safe investments that don't excite you, grow rich by doing things that you really enjoy. Have fun. Start your dream business. Invest in real estate. Make deals with interesting partners who can advance your interests. You'll learn and earn more by having fun than you will by being overly prudent. Plus, you will supercharge your desire to win and earn even more.

Remember, Higher Earnings Do Not Mean Higher Risk

Many people believe that investingis like gambling. The more you want to win, the more you have to risk, and the more you stand to lose. In our new book as in our lives, we have proven that nothing could be further from the truth. The key is to find smart ways to win big. We have done it. You can do it too. It is part of our new way to get rich.

Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University. Robert T. Kiyosaki, an international entrepreneur specializing in mining and real estate, is author of the runaway bestseller Rich Dad Poor Dad. Learn more by reading Why We Want You To Be Rich: Two Men, One Message by Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki.