Each year, Forbes magazine puts out a list of the world’s billionaires.
Here’s the intro to this year’s piece:
“The ranks of the world’s billionaires have swelled to a record 1,645 including 268 newcomers. While wealth spreads to new corners of the world, including for the first time places like Tanzania and Lithuania, the U.S. still dominates with Bill Gates back on top after a four-year hiatus and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg the year’s biggest gainer.”
Far more than simply a list of the richest people, this annual article affords newer wealth creators (like us) a chance to learn some of the secrets to financial success. For example, we learn the importance of thinking and imagination from Bill Gates; we learn about focusing on an idea (and not necessarily on a formal education) from Mark Zuckerberg; and we learn about keeping stock market analysts in their proper place from Warren Buffet.
As you read the list this year, try and look beyond the obvious. Try and put yourself in the shoes of these successful businesspeople at the moment when they made the choices that led them to where they are today. Would you have made the same choices they did? Would you have bowed to the pressure or adopted a contrarian point of view?
Every day, we have a chance to make a better future for ourselves. Learn what you can from these folks and then go out and set an example for others to learn from!