Another challenge is the difficulty to trust people that many billionaires develop upon bad experiences from the past.
Naveen explained to me how it works:
Once you become successful, it becomes obvious to you, essentially by pattern matching, that 99% of the people who come talk to you and become your friend, they need something from you. So in life, the way I look at this stuff is when you are rich or when you are beautiful as a girl, it’s in some sense god’s curse to you because you attract the wrong type of people coming to you. People can rarely see through the facade of you being rich or you being beautiful. People don’t get to know who you are as an individual because they see the outside of you. They never get to know the inner you, and that hollowness, loneliness is what makes people so unhappy even with the money. No one creates real relationships anymore because people are afraid to have that deep, real relationship because they think it opens them up to be vulnerable.
Are Billionaires Happy?
So, is it worth it? Are billionaires happy? This is probably the question I’ve been asked most while I was writing this book.
Let’s dissect it a little bit.
For Mohed Altrad, like for many other people, “success is happiness.”
Frank Stronach gave lots of lectures at universities.
The first thing I taught the students is: The success of life can only be measured by the degree of happiness you reach. But let me tell you from my experience, it’s a lot easier to be happy if you’ve got some money. The smart students have asked, “How can you make money?” I said, “Look, when you are around 20, you don’t really know yourself. You should experiment a bit.”
The success of life can only be measured by the degree of happiness you reach.
— Frank Stronach #BillionDollarGoldNuggets
The general public tend to represent one of the two extreme opinions. The first one is “Money will make you happy”; the other extreme is “Those poor Billionaires, they are so rich but unhappy.”
In reality, money doesn’t change much about your ability to be happy. It just magnifies your personality. If you were a happy person before you got rich, money will increase your happiness. But if you were unhappy, money will make you miserable. Trying to become happy by amassing more money is a delusion.
Money doesn’t give you happiness. It gives you choice. And a lot of money gives you a lot of choice. It’s up to you to take advantage of the choices money offers.
It’s a lot easier to be happy if you’ve got some money.
— Frank Stronach #BillionDollarGoldNuggets
So, are billionaires happy? The short answer is “Yes, but not for the reasons you may think.”
Despite the price they pay as described above, consider the following:
Certain personality traits and habits from the ones described in this book are helpful both in making a lot of money and in making you happy. Let’s have a closer look at them.
Billionaires are experts in human psychology and communication. This allows them to build harmonious long-term relationships, and those naturally increase their personal happiness.
In contrast to public opinion about the rich, the self-made billionaires I have met and interviewed have simple, even uneventful private lives. They choose a tolerant partner who covers their back and supports them in what they do. There are no personal dramas, no divorces. The wife and kids give them stability in their private lives, which allows them to excel in business but also provides for a high level of self-comfort.
Hüsnü Özyegin considers marrying his wife one of his most important accomplishments.
She has been the most supportive life partner I could have wished for. She has done an incredible job of raising our children. I was not able to be there for the birth of either of my children. When my son was born, I was in Baghdad, and when I landed in Istanbul, my driver told me that Murat had been born, and we drove straight to the hospital. When my daughter Aysecan was born, I was in Tripoli, Libya, and I got a telegram informing me that I had had a daughter. She never once complained about the fact that I was working so hard when our children were young. Whenever I travel, no matter what time of day or night, she would always get up and see me to the door and pour water behind my car. This is an old Turkish tradition that wishes the traveler well, for his travels to flow as easily as water and for the traveler to return home safely. Even today I always call her before I board a plane and as soon as I land, no matter where I travel.
For Frank Hasenfratz, a supportive partner is an essential condition to business success:
One thing I very strongly believe in is to have a good partner. I had a very supportive wife, both in business and social life.
Billionaires love what they do. They love their business and the industry they are in. Of course, this makes you happier than having to do what you don’t like.
For Dilip Shanghvi it’s as easy as “you solve a problem, it makes you happy.”
I asked Cai Dongqing what makes him happy.
Doing what I want to do and enjoying the process.
The next aspect is freedom. Billionaires are free in the sense that they work not because they have to, but because they like doing it and find it important. As Sergey Galitskiy puts it, “Freedom in life is the ability to spend your time on things that are important to you and that you like.”
More money means also more control over their lives and over their environment. As I pointed out in chapter 9, billionaires are not the flag in the wind, they are the wind. Their abilities and their money give them more options to react to negative situations in their lives and create positive outcomes.
I asked Jack Cowin what made him happy.
I think being able to control my own agenda. I don’t mean that in a selfish sort of way, but you know, we all have moods, so being able to control what I want to do at the time, rather than having somebody tell me. One of the problems that I’ve found in life is as you get older, you become less and less tolerant of someone giving you direction. My wife will say, “Can you please do that?” “Do I have to?” “Yeah.” [chuckles]
Freedom in life is the ability to spend your time on things that are important to you and that you like.
— Sergey Galitskiy #BillionDollarGoldNuggets
Billionaires are pretty happy with who they are. They are proud of what they have accomplished. They don’t need to prove anything to anybody anymore. They can afford to be fully themselves.
Cai Dongqing confessed to me, he felt “fulfillment when our business is making remarkable progress.”
Michał Sołowow made this feeling tangible for me:
I am also happy that I build homes in which others live, that I build and produce, that I make life easier.… Please remind yourself what I called my first company on the stock exchange: “Polish Life Improvement.” … I have an impression that I improve other peoples’ lives, not only my own.…
Achievements make you happy. And billionaires have a lot of them.
Billionaires are creators. They see how their thoughts materialize. This is a deeply fulfilling process.
I asked Sergey Galitskiy what made him happy.
When things happen according to how I planned. When I see that my thoughts, not necessarily quickly, but they do materialize. When my thoughts come to fruition, when there is some physical realization of my mental thoughts, I can stand and look at this for hours. If I wasn’t getting tired, I could stay for days.
One of his thoughts that materialized was a magnificent soccer stadium he built for his home town, Krasnodar. It offers space for 34,000 fans.
Similarly, Cai Dongqing loves “the process of bringing our blueprint of the company into reality.”
The recognition and respect billionaires get adds to their happiness.
Cho Tak Wong told me it made him happy “if everybody around you acknowledges that what you do is right and they respect you for it.”
Also, their positive contribution to the lives of
other people and seeing these people grow, succeed, and be happy makes them feel fulfilled.
I asked Petter Stordalen what made him happy.
Seeing people grow, seeing my wife succeed, seeing that my kids are happy. Seeing my dogs happy. Seeing the people in the company happy and proud of the company. Seeing that people go from one job, maybe in reception, to be a manager. Seeing people reaching and fulfilling their whole potential. Most people don’t see the whole big potential they have, and when I see people really fulfilling everything, that makes me happy.
Michał Sołowow told me, “What makes me happy is when I see the people I’ve touched are happy. That makes me tremendously happy and emotional.”
Let’s not forget the gratitude and the stoic attitude of many billionaires. Those help their happiness.
Life itself makes Tim Draper happy. Dilip Shanghvi told me:
I think generally, I am happy. I don’t need an external event to be happy. I try not to allow the key to my happiness or unhappiness to be an external event. Problems don’t make me unhappy; in the same way, success also doesn’t make me very happy. I have very little ability to rejoice. Also, I don’t become unhappy. If something doesn’t work, it also doesn’t make me very unhappy.
Despite common belief, billionaires really appreciate the simple things of life, since they are the ones who have tasted it all.
I asked Peter Hargreaves what made him happy.
I think simple things in life. Certainly I have a nice garden, and one of my greatest enjoyments is digging vegetables for lunch on a Sunday morning. Just going out and digging up the vegetables, picking the sprouts and whatever.
And sometimes I walk round the fields and look for mushrooms. Of course, they’re worthless. Sometimes I don’t even eat all the ones I find. But the joy of finding a mushroom is brilliant.
And nature, I do love nature. That’s why I enjoyed the fell running. I love October, when you get the autumn colors and the crisp mornings.
So the things that make me happy are very much the simple things in life. Just anything like that. And good company, good food and good wine, and heated discussions, mayhap. As long as I win. [laughs]
I also love to see other people’s success. I’m very emotional when I see people’s success. I’m always more emotional about happiness. When somebody achieves, and you see the elation. And when young children do something that’s really rather nice, I think that makes me very, very happy. I am a very emotional person.
Let’s not forget other billionaire traits and habits that support happiness: belief, optimism, trust, having a purpose and following your mission, taking care of your health, being proactive, being yourself and not bending yourself, personal integrity, and giving back.
Of course, all of the above doesn’t protect billionaires from personal tragedies like illness or grief after the loss of loved ones. And, of course, not all billionaires are happy. But considering all the factors, I believe that on average, billionaires are happier than the rest of society for the above reasons.
Are you willing to pay the price and do what it takes to give yourself a chance to get to the billion-dollar league? Are you prepared to sacrifice a big chunk of your life to make it happen? It means a great investment of time of energy. Are you willing to accept the huge amount of stress and the burden of responsibility? Are you prepared for the runner’s solitude?
- Drifters don’t want to pay the price; they want to enjoy their life now and are not willing to make sacrifices in their private life.
- Millionaires are willing to pay the price, but they often don’t realize how high the price is or don’t convey it to their environment. In effect, they may get discouraged or burn out or their environment may force them to make concessions as to the amount of time they can invest or the amount of stress and responsibility they can take.
- Billionaires are willing and prepared to pay the price; they set up their mindset and their environment in such a way that allows them to make all sacrifices necessary to reach their goals.
For more stories on this topic, go to:
http://TheBillionDollarSecret.com/resources
EPILOGUE
So, my dear reader, we have reached the end of The Billion Dollar Secret. You have learned the secret principles of the most successful entrepreneurs in our world, the self-made billionaires. They have revealed their innermost wisdom to enable you to become as extremely successful in business as they are. It’s now up to you to follow their steps.
Keep in mind, the external factors are not decisive about your success; you are the one responsible for your life. So leave the nest, and take off to conquer the skies. Let your insatiable hunger guide you on your way. Build a solid B.O.A.T. out of your belief, optimism, assertiveness, and trust that will carry you through the stormy oceans of your career. Avoid the gold digger’s trap. Learn the Six Skills of Business Mastery, and develop the Six Habits of Wealth. Find your purpose and sharpen your vision. Take action! Don’t be the flag, be the wind. Recognize and seize opportunities. Be bold. Don’t let fear stop you from doing things. Take risks, but do it wisely. You will have to fail many times before you succeed. So be willing to fail, but don’t give up; persevere and keep fighting! Don’t be afraid to be different. Do not conform. Your passion will enable you to work hard for many years on the way to your dreams and overcome all the obstacles. But only if you are smart with money and F.A.S.T. will you have the chance to outcompete others. So never stop learning. Subscribe to the process of constant improvement. Don’t compromise your integrity. Build a great reputation and don’t forget to pay it forward. And always remember: to achieve great things, there is a price to be paid.
Never before have we been surrounded by so many opportunities that are up for grabs. The best time to act and take advantage of them was yesterday. Next best is today. So get on it, apply yourself to the 20 principles of The Billion Dollar Secret, spread your wings, and soar. Here is the road map I laid out for you. I’m here to help you and guide you on your way. Let me be the first to congratulate you and to celebrate with you when you reach your goals, whatever they might be. I am crossing my fingers for your success!
APPENDIX
The Billionaires
Mohed Altrad
Badawi
Citizenship/Residence: France/Montpellier
A 71-year-old, French self-made billionaire and Syrian immigrant, founder and chairman of Altrad Group, a global company offering services and equipment for the construction industry in over 100 countries. The company, with its 200 subsidiaries, has become a world leader in its main market: scaffolding. Mr. Altrad is the owner of the Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club and an accomplished writer with three novels under his belt. He was awarded Knight and Officer of the French Legion of Honor and was named the World Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 by Ernst & Young. He is the first Frenchman to win this honor.
THE BUSINESS CARD
Made his first million with: scaffolding business
Business is … life
Success is … happiness
Would like to meet in person: Obama
Passion: literature
Skills he doesn’t have: capacity to write books that will be read in a century
The best book on business: books by Max Weber
Still wants to achieve: “Change the world. Find something to change the world to be better. Because if we carry on, I think it will be worse.”
Most admired thought leaders: Nelson Mandela, Helmut Schmidt, Giscard, Francois Mitterrand
Tony Tan Caktiong
The Genius of Sharing
Citizenship/Residence: Philippines/Manila
A 65-year-old, self-made billionaire, founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods, Asia’s largest food service company operating 13 restaurant chains (Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Smashburger, the Filipino Burger King franchise, Highlands Coffee, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, and others) with over 4,300 restaurant outlets in 18 count
ries throughout East Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Jollibee has been recognized as one of the most admired Asian companies and one of Asia’s best employers. In 2013, Forbes included it on Asia’s Fabulous 50 list. Jollibee Foods is the world’s only local fast-food company to beat McDonald’s in their country. Tony’s philanthropy focuses on food for students. He was awarded the title World Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 by Ernst & Young.
THE BUSINESS CARD
Made his first million with: food service business
Business is … fun
Success is … the result of working with other people
Life motto: “Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.”
Most valuable piece of advice for him: honesty and integrity
Passion: having good food
Skills he’d like to have: good command of English language
The best book on business: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Still wants to achieve: “Our biggest goal now is to be able to be a big player in the U.S. fast-food market.”
Avoids in business: “We avoid having partners that don’t fit in the culture, especially on the integrity side.”
Most admired thought leaders: Buddha and Hindus
Jack Cowin
Mission Impossible
Citizenship/Residence: Australia/Sydney
A 76-year-old, Canadian-born self-made billionaire. He is the owner, chairman, and managing director of Competitive Foods Australia, one of the country’s largest food processors and the largest franchiser of restaurants in Australia, including Hungry Jack’s, the Australian Burger King franchise, branded after his name. He was an early pioneer in introducing fast food to Australia, first chicken (KFC), then hamburgers (Burger King), then pizza (Domino’s Pizza). He is a major shareholder in Domino’s Pizza Australia with over 2.400 restaurants in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Holland, Germany, and Belgium. Jack also engages in an array of other businesses in Australia and North America. He is an active member of the World Presidents Organization. His philanthropic activities are directed at higher education.
The Billion Dollar Secret Page 30
