New York, July 2 — Best-selling author Robert Kiyosaki, whose “Rich Dad Poor Dad” series has shaped how millions approach personal finance, posted a personal reflection on social media that departs sharply from his usual investment advice. In a July 1 post on his X account that has since gone viral, Kiyosaki recounted the moment an Indian guru’s words forced him to reexamine his life’s purpose—a shift from his typical commentary urging followers to buy gold, silver, and bitcoin.
“Your body’s mission is to fulfill your spirit’s mission,” the guru told Kiyosaki years ago. The author wrote that the statement shook him, because at the time his body was busy making money. “It took me a long time to figure out what was my spirit’s mission?” Kiyosaki wrote. He said he eventually understood that his spirit’s mission was to teach—to become a teacher. That realization came as a surprise, he added, because he had failed at school and hated it. The author also wrote that he knew that when it comes to money, schools lie to us.
A Career Forged in Adversity
Kiyosaki, born Robert Toru Kiyosaki in 1947 in Hilo, Hawaii, grew up as the eldest child of a Japanese-American family. His father was an educator who served as Hawaii’s superintendent of schools and later ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor. Despite that academic pedigree, Kiyosaki himself struggled in school and was nearly expelled from high school due to poor grades. After graduating from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, he served as a helicopter gunship pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
His post-military career was marked by repeated setbacks. He launched a company that made nylon and Velcro wallets, but it went bankrupt. He then worked as a sales associate at Xerox before entering the motivational speaking world in the 1980s. Kiyosaki ran a course based on Erhard Seminars Training techniques called Money and You. The business expanded internationally but nearly collapsed after an Australian documentary reported on emotional abuse in the course. He later founded the Rich Dad Company, which provides personal finance and business education. One of his companies, Rich Global LLC, filed for bankruptcy. He has also been sued in a class action by seminar attendees and has been the subject of investigative documentaries.
The core of Kiyosaki’s public career rests on his 1997 book “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” a personal finance guide that contrasts the financial philosophies of two father figures. The book argues that traditional schooling fails to teach people how money works and promotes investing in assets such as gold, silver, and real estate over saving cash. Kiyosaki regularly posts investment advice on social media, frequently recommending precious metals and cryptocurrency, particularly bitcoin, as paths to wealth.
The Message That Resonates
Kiyosaki’s influence matters because his books have shaped how millions of people think about money, investing, and financial independence. His long-running argument that schools lie about money has resonated with a large audience seeking alternatives to conventional financial advice. That makes any shift in his personal message worth watching. When a figure known for aggressive investment tips instead writes about a guru’s words on life purpose, it stands apart from his usual commentary—and it may signal how his own thinking continues to evolve. In this latest post, Kiyosaki offered no investment tips but instead discussed the purpose of his life, crediting an Indian guru for helping him understand it.
