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| Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Jeff Bezos - picture credit: rt.com |
Every year, since 1987, Forbes magazine publishes a long list of the world's billionaires. In the first year, 140 billionaires were listed. This year, 2019, that number has grown to 2153 billionaires, though this is a drop from the 2208 billionaires recorded in 2018.
All these billionaires are collectively worth a whooping sum of $8.7 trillion! This amount is more than the GDP of several countries in the world put together. In fact, the top 26 people in the list are richer than 50% of the poorest population in the world, according to a report by Oxfarm.
The top three richest in 2019 Forbes' list are Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in that order. To be listed as a billionaire in this annual listing, you need to be worth at least $1 billion. That refers to your assets or net worth.
Billionaires are no different from other people, except in the things they consistently believe in and do. Most of them didn't start out as billionaires. Even the top two in the list started their companies from the scratch. They probably never figured out back then they would go as far as they have today. They just saw an opportunity, had an idea on what to do with it, and then, they ran with it, not looking back.
According to Annie Mueller, "Some (of this billionaires) certainly had economic and educational advantages, but even without those, their smart decisions and business choices, plus a few key characteristics, let them to their billions."
In this snappy piece, I want to introduce you to the two important things you should do if you want to become a billionaire. It's not magical, nor herculean. Everyone probably has equal chances at them, and in today's world, there's no limits nor excuses for anyone.
Billionaires don't happen by accident. Luck may, however, be on their side. But when you think about it, what do you think happens when you are at the right place at the right time, but fails to do the right thing? Many people today are where they are, not because they had no opportunities to be something better, but because they were unable to take the "smart decisions" and make the right "business choices" when they could have done so.
Well, it's never late to try remedying the situation. Luck can be recreated by those willing to walk the mile long journey by foot! That's what is required if you must get to your destination after missing your train or bus. It may not be as easy as it should, but I can assure you, it was never meant to be any easy, just a little bit ahead in time.
So, how do you set about to make your first billion dollars? What did the world's richest man say you should do?
Everyone else says you have to invest and become an entrepreneur. Well, that's true, but wait, there are millions of investors and entrepreneurs in the world today who may never become billionaires. So, what exactly is the trick that can make the difference for you?
The truth is that those who get to the top of the ladder do certain things differently than the rest of the people. Here's Jeff Bezo's advice to young and aspiring billionaires like you:
1. Follow Your Passion!
Quite simple, right? This is how he explained it in an interview with Academy of Achievement: "Do something you're very passionate about, and don't try to chase what is kind of the 'hot passion' of the day... So, you really need to be very clear with yourself." In other words, it takes discipline. Yes, that's the word: DISCIPLINE! That's what it takes to pursue your dreams even when everyone else is running the other direction.
Jeff's boss before he left to start his company told him he had a great idea, but the idea could only apply to someone who doesn't have a job already. He told the 30 year old dreamer to just give it 48 hours thought and get over it, probably. But Jeff knew what he wanted.
If you are convinced that the way your heart is leading you is where it can happen for you, my dear, take the journey. That's probably the only way to your billionaire self.
It's better to live with failure after trying than with the regret of not trying when you should have!
2. Set Long Term Goals
Here's another easy one, you think? Wait until you read this excerpt from Jeff's interview with Academy of Achievement:
"Another thing that I would recommend to people is that they always take a long-term point of view. I think this is something about which there’s a lot of controversy. A lot of people — and I’m just not one of them — believe that you should live for the now. I think what you do is think about the great expanse of time ahead of you and try to make sure that you’re planning for that in a way that’s going to leave you ultimately satisfied. This is the way it works for me. There are a lot of paths to satisfaction and you need to find one that works for you."
The last sentence hit me on the right spot! There are a lot of paths to satisfaction and you need to find one that works for you and stick with it! That's Persistence. Yes, there's the word: PERSISTENCE!
If you want to become a billionaire like Jeff, you should consistently pursue those things you believe you are passionate about. Don't limit yourself. Go Big! Don't let anyone or anything deter you. No one can stop you if you don't let them. Only you can stop yourself.
Have you found the right track of being independent in the pursuit of your billionaire dream? If you have not made the move, take the Big little step today and join the Forbes list of world's billion dollars shakers!
We'll meet there. I'm in. Are you?
