While many people want to become rich investors, only a few ever learn what truly separates the wealthy from everyone else. It’s not must matters of luck and accessibility; nor is it the fancy degree or a high-paying job. The Rich Dad Company has taught for decades that becoming a rich investor starts long before a person buys their first stock, rental property, or business.

It begins with one thing: financial intelligence.

The world is full of people who invest, but very few who invest intelligently. Anyone can put money into a retirement plan or a savings account. Anyone can speculate on the latest “hot pick.” But a rich investor sees the world differently. They see opportunities long before others notice them. They understand risk in a way that protects them. They make money not because markets rise, but because they know how money works.

And that mindset is available to anyone willing to learn it.

The mindset that separates rich investors

Before discussing strategies or financial vehicles, Rich Dad teaches that a person must adopt the mindset of a rich investor — a mindset built on clarity, courage, and education.

1. Rich investors invest for cash flow, not comfort.

Most people invest for comfort:

• “I hope my 401(k) will be enough.”
  
• “I just want a safe return.”
  
• “I’m saving for retirement someday.”
  

Rich investors invest for freedom.

They seek assets that put money in their pockets every month, not someday when they’re old, but now. They choose investments that increase their income, not just their savings.

A rich investor asks:
“Will this investment give me cash flow?”

Because cash flow creates control. Cash flow creates options. Cash flow buys time — and time is the ultimate form of wealth.

2. Rich investors study before they invest.

Rich Dad famously said, “Investors don’t need more money; they need more information.”

Poor investors throw money at investments they don’t understand. Rich investors slow down, study the numbers, and know exactly how an investment works before they commit.

Education reduces risk. Blind investing multiplies it.

The Rich Dad Company has seen it over and over: those who build wealth are the ones who are willing to learn, practice, and rethink everything they were taught about money.

3. Rich investors take responsibility for their finances.

Most people hand their financial futures to someone else:

• a financial advisor
  
• an employer
  
• a government retirement system
  
• a spouse
  

Rich investors know that no one cares about their financial freedom more than they do.

They take ownership. They learn to read financial statements. They evaluate deals themselves. They look at their money the way a business owner looks at a company’s performance.

When someone else controls your money, they control your future.

Rich investors refuse to give away that power.

The difference between rich investors and poor investors

Investors fall into two categories: rich investors and poor investors. The difference has nothing to do with how much money a person has — it has everything to do with how they think.

Poor investors

• Focus on saving
  
• Fear losing money
  
• Rely on guarantees
  
• Follow the crowd
  
• Think investing is risky
  
• Hope for long-term appreciation
  

Rich investors

• Focus on cash flow
  
• Learn from losses
  
• Create opportunities
  
• Think independently
  
• Use financial education to reduce risk
  
• Build wealth with assets that pay them every month
  

The difference is night and day: poor investors want safety, rich investors want control.

The four types of investors (and how the rich operate)

Rich Dad teaches that there are four types of investors. Every person falls into one category, whether they realize it or not:

1. The passive investor

They hand their money to someone else — usually a financial advisor or retirement plan — and hope everything works out. They want no responsibility.

2. The amateur investor

They try to pick stocks, follow the news, chase trends, and often speculate. They think they’re in control, but they’re not.

3. The professional investor

They understand markets, can analyze numbers, and evaluate risk intelligently. They treat investing as a skill.

4. The rich investor

They go beyond analysis. They create opportunities, build teams, use leverage wisely, and often invest in assets others don’t understand. They aren’t controlled by markets — they influence markets.

That’s where true financial freedom lives.

Three skills every rich investor must learn

Anyone can become a rich investor if they’re willing to master three core skills:

1. The ability to find great investments.

A rich investor develops the eyes to see what others miss. Opportunities aren’t rare, but a lack of awareness can make them hard to see.

Rich investors learn to recognize value, understand market cycles, and identify deals that produce strong cash flow.

2. The ability to evaluate risk and reward.

Rich investors don’t avoid risk — they manage it through education and experience.

They know the numbers. They know the downside. And they always have an exit strategy.

3. The ability to raise or leverage capital.

This is the skill that separates the wealthy from everyone else.
A rich investor knows how to use:

• other people’s money (OPM)
  
• smart debt
  
• partners and teams
  
• tax advantages
  

Rich Dad teaches that the ability to raise capital is often more important than having capital.

Why financial intelligence matters more than money

The Rich Dad Company has always taught that money doesn’t make you rich; financial intelligence does.

A person with high financial intelligence can lose everything and rebuild it. A person with low financial intelligence, on the other hand,  can win the lottery and be broke again within a few years.

Financial intelligence includes the ability to:

• read financial statements
  
• understand taxes
  
• distinguish assets from liabilities
  
• use debt wisely
  
• protect money legally
  
• spot opportunities
  
• think like an investor instead of an employee
  

Rich investors increase their financial intelligence every year — because the world keeps changing, and education is the advantage that never expires.

The path to becoming a rich investor 

Becoming a rich investor doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process — but a process anyone can follow.

Start with education

Read books. Study deals. Learn vocabulary.  If a person doesn’t know what a cap rate or cash-on-cash return is, they aren’t ready to invest.

Start by learning the four foundations of financial education: 

• Understanding the difference between an asset and a liability;
• Cash flow vs capital gains;
• Using good debt and taxes to get rich, and
• Making your own financial decisions

Practice with small steps

A rich investor gains experience by doing — even if the first steps are small.

Many start with:

• a small rental property
  
• a dividend-paying stock
  
• a simple side business
  
• a small crypto or commodities position they fully understand
  

Education + action = experience.

Build a team

As Robert Kiyosaki’s rich dad always said: “business and investing are team sports.” 

The fact is rich investors don’t invest alone; they surround themselves with:

• accountants
  
• attorneys
  
• brokers
  
• partners
  
• advisors who are also investors
  

A great team protects wealth and creates better opportunities.

Shift from saving to acquiring assets

Simply put, savers are losers in the game of being rich. The rich don’t get rich by saving.
They become rich by acquiring assets:

• real estate
  
• businesses
  
• commodities
  
• investments that produce cash flow
  

Remember this mantra: assets make you wealthier every month. Savings make you poorer every year (through inflation).

Get comfortable with calculated risk.

Here’s a secret: “safe” investments might be the riskiest of all. A rich investor doesn’t fear losing money — they fear staying financially ignorant. Risk isn’t something to avoid; it’s something to learn to manage.

Keep cash flow the priority.

Cashflow is the on-going stream of income you receive from an investment. It keeps you alive during downturns, and continuously protects you from the volatile nature of inflation. 

This is why at Rich Dad, we favor cash flow as the best form of investment income. It frees your time, your energy – this is true financial freedom. 

This is what it means to become a truly rich investor.

Making the shift

The Rich Dad Company has spent decades teaching one central truth: anyone can become a rich investor if they’re willing to learn the rules of money.

Becoming a rich investor is not about having more money — it’s about becoming more financially intelligent. It’s about choosing cash flow over comfort, education over excuses, and responsibility over reliance.

When a person makes that shift, they stop participating in the financial system as a victim — and start operating in it as a creator.

And that’s when they join the world of rich investors.