526: The Wealth Ladder

If there’s one thing that separates the truly wealthy from everyone else, it’s their relationship with risk.

Not blind risk. I’m talking about conviction — the ability to see an opportunity before everyone else does, to lean into it while others are frozen, and to hold through the storm until the payoff is undeniable.

The extreme example is Bitcoin. In 2012, when it was trading for less than the price of a cup of coffee, most people laughed it off as internet monopoly money. But a handful of people had conviction. 

They understood the asymmetric nature of the bet — the downside was capped at the small amount they put in, while the upside was exponential. Those early adopters didn’t just make returns; many became billionaires.

Of course, most people hadn’t even heard of Bitcoin in 2012, so that might not have even been an option for you. So let’s take another example that you almost certainly did live through.

Real estate after the Great Recession in 2008 was radioactive. Nobody wanted to touch it. Yet those who bought when fear was at its peak ended up riding one of the longest real estate bull markets in U.S. history. 

Data from the National Association of Realtors shows that home prices more than doubled from 2012 to 2022 in many markets. Imagine the rewards of being on the buy side in 2012.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I believe we are in a similar scenario with real estate right now as we head into a descending rate environment following a real estate bloodbath. 

Properties are severely discounted, and values are almost certain to go up as rates fall. But you have to see the big picture and not be scared. That’s not easy to do when everyone else is. 

Real estate moguls and business owners are the ones most likely to take their wealth to the next level. Real estate is accessible to you — and so is business ownership. 

Look at the Forbes billionaire list and you’ll see a pattern: nearly 70% of the world’s wealthiest people are business founders or owners. They didn’t get rich clipping coupons from the S&P 500. 

They got there by creating or buying businesses that became valuable, saleable assets. The risk was obvious: most startups fail. But the payoff for the ones that succeed dwarfs anything you’ll ever get in your brokerage account.

Now, the reality is that most high-paid professionals never play in this arena. They’re comfortable and don’t want to rock the boat. Some call it the “golden handcuffs” — you make enough money to feel comfortable, but that same comfort prevents you from ever taking risk. And you know what? That’s totally fine.

Just know that doing your 9-to-5 and investing into your 401(k) is not going to create life-changing money. If all you’re looking for is life-sustaining money, keep doing what you’re doing.

But ask yourself this question: What’s the life you dream about? If it’s the life you already have, then congratulations. If not, are you on a trajectory that even makes it possible to get there? If not, you’ve got to change course.

My guest this week on Wealth Formula Podcast has done a great deal of research on the wealthy and has written a book based on what he has learned.