The Road to Riches
The Road to Riches is indeed the road less traveled. That explains why only a small percentage of the population successfully reached their destination- that of amassing immense wealth and fortune. But for us who are willing to walk that path towards financial prosperity, which road are we going to take?
There are several routes that a person can take to become rich. Some may involve confusing roads and obstacles that would delay our travel. Some are very tempting short-cuts that could speed up our journey to riches, but at the expense of many things in our lives. However, becoming rich requires dedication and commitment. It involves a lot of factors- a mix of determination, patience, financial intellect and of course, an ounce of good luck.
Some people became rich because they worked hard for it. A relative few, however, were just dang lucky. I’ve listed a broad summary of some of the paths taken by some people towards becoming rich.
1. Invented something either a product, a code, a formula and obtained a patent:
Scott A. Jones made a fortune by giving the voice mail technology to the world.
2. Wrote a novel which became a best seller, earning royalties for each book sold:
J.K. Rowling’s final installment of the wizardly adventures of Harry Potter helped add $300 million to her bank account, making her the richest author on the planet.
3. Invested wisely on the stock market:
Starting off his investment career when he was 11 years old, Warren Buffet is now the world’s richest person, with an estimated net worth of $62 billion.
4. Started as a small-time entrepreneur, eventually evolving into a multi-national corporation:
Howard Schultz started his career working for a coffee beans company. He is now the proud founder and CEO of Starbucks Corporation.
5. Studied and earned a degree on a lucrative profession like a cosmetic surgeon, an engineer, an architect, a lawyer, a specialty doctor or a stockbroker:
Gerald Hosier began his career doing pro bono criminal defense work. Now, he is a top-earning lawyer in the US with an estimated net worth of $40 million.
6. Gambled and hit the jackpot in the lottery:
Jack Whittaker became an instant celebrity after bagging $314 million in a Powerball lottery.
7. Invested in real estate properties:
Jeff Greene got rich investing in real estate and superrich betting against it. CNBC’s Jane Well’s reported that his $50 million investment is now up tenfold, to $500,000,000.
8. Owned rental properties:
Among the many investments of Donald Trump, his rental properties continue to give him the edge in terms of financial power.
9. Married someone who is rich:
In Lucy Bulmer’s article, Confessions of a Golddigger, she cited a woman named Beverley Charman who bagged £48 million from her former husband – the biggest divorce award ever.
10. Inherited wealth:
Alice Louise Walton is the third richest woman in the world, with an inherited wealth of $19 billion.
11. Earned millions through Multi-Level Marketing, though legitimacy might be questioned:
Randy Allen, Eniva Executive National Director, is said to be the richest guy in MLM. All the public evidence available in the internet indicates his astronomical wealth.
13. Gifted with athletic skills, becoming a professional athlete and reaping millions from advertisers:
Golf star Tiger Woods retained the No. 2 spot on the list of Forbes Celebrity 100, raking in $115 million on and off the course.
14. Hit it big in the entertainment world:
Oprah Winfrey remains No. 1 in Forbes Celebrity 100. She earned $275 million before taxes in the past 12 months, and she remains one of the most famous faces in the world.
15. Became a singer, wrote songs, endorsed products, used money for wise investments:
This year, Forbes Hip Hop Cash King’s gives the most coveted number 1 place to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who raked in $150 million over the past 12 months.
16. Had a good bank reputation and applied for a loan then invested wisely:
Henry Sy would not have become the richest Filipino in the world without the 1 million peso loan that he applied for in China bank.
17. Employee who aimed for a promotion or became the CEO of the company:
Oracle’s Larry Ellison has been named as the top-paid chief executive in the US. Worth $25 billion, Ellison persuaded Oracle to award him a fiscal 2008 pay package valued at $84.6 million this year.
18. Earned money online through advertising, affiliates, selling products or offering their service.
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, Inc., is now estimated to have a net worth of $15.8 billion. Google earns revenue from advertising related to its Internet search.
There are more methods as to how other people become rich. Feel free to comment to add more to the list.
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