Robert Kiyosaki

Robert Toru Kiyosaki was born on April 8, 1947, in Hilo, Hawaii, to Japanese-American parents. His father, Ralph H. Kiyosaki, was a PhD-holding educator who served as Hawaii's state superintendent of education, while his mother was a nurse. Kiyosaki often contrasts his 'poor dad' (his educated but financially struggling biological father) with his 'rich dad' (the fictionalized best friend of his real father, a successful entrepreneur), a narrative central to his teachings. He attended Hilo High School and later the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York, graduating in 1969 as a deck officer. He served in the Marine Corps as a helicopter gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, earning the Air Medal and completing over 1,100 missions. After military service, Kiyosaki worked as a sales associate for Xerox Corporation in the early 1970s, where he honed his sales skills. In 1977, he co-founded Rippers, a company producing nylon and Velcro-lined surfer wallets, which became a multinational success before collapsing in 1980 due to market shifts. Undeterred, he launched Captains' Training Academy to teach business and leadership skills. By 1985, he founded the Rich Dad Company (initially Excel Institute for Financial Education), creating the CASHFLOW board games to simulate financial decision-making. His breakthrough came with Rich Dad Poor Dad in 1997, co-authored with Sharon Lechter, which challenged conventional financial advice and emphasized financial intelligence, debt leverage, and asset-building. Kiyosaki's empire expanded in the 2000s with a series of Rich Dad books (over 26 titles), seminars, and online courses, though criticized for high-cost programs and unverified claims of wealth (e.g., bankruptcy filings by associated companies in the 1980s and 2012). He has invested in real estate, precious metals (notably Bitcoin and gold), oil wells, and stocks, often sharing strategies publicly. Married to Kim Kiyosaki since 1986, they live between locations including Las Vegas and Hawaii. Kiyosaki remains active, warning of economic collapses and promoting debt as a tool for the wealthy, while facing scrutiny for promotional tactics amid personal bankruptcy protections for business entities.