5 Quotes By 5 Billionaires That Will Change How You See Money

Unique perspectives from the world’s richest

Money seems to drive pretty much everything in the world. Much of our lives are spent either spending or working to earn as much as we can get.

As kids, we dream of having lots of money. We study hard in school to get a good job to earn a good living and live the lifestyles we see in movies.

However, few of us actually get those lifestyles. We try our best but ultimately fall short. We don’t have enough money. But there are some people who have ridiculous amounts of money.

Billionaires have reached heights of wealth most of us can’t wrap our heads around. That means they’re in a unique position to let us know what it’s like to work for and live with so much money.

I find it fascinating to see the patterns in what billionaires say about wealth. How they got it, what it’s like to be rich, and how the money has impacted their lives. Here are 5 revealing quotes from 5 of these people.

1.“The reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.” — Oprah Winfrey

It’s really interesting how often this concept comes up. The majority of the successful people I read about or listen to always emphasize how focused they were on everything other than the money. They all wanted to solve a problem or were exploring a craft. It wasn’t about the money.

Many entrepreneurs and famous writers even swear by working and giving for free. Give people value first without expectations, they say.

I find it difficult not to be distracted by money. But that’s what it is, a distraction. And anything that distracts you from something more important is only slowing you down.

I’ve seen it in my own life too. Choosing a career based on the salary it promised left me unmotivated in my college years. Even as a writer, in my early days I’d find myself trying to write a viral piece of content instead of saying something worthwhile. But I found when money wasn’t my focus, I produced my best work.

How you can apply this

Focus on why you are doing things instead of what you are doing. Make it a point to find the intrinsic value in what you are trying to accomplish. Focus on anything but the money and trust you’ll get what you deserve.

2. “I can understand wanting to have millions of dollars, there’s a certain freedom, meaningful freedom, that comes with that. But once you get much beyond that, I have to tell you, it’s the same hamburger.” — Bill Gates

If you have to take the bus and walk 3 miles to get to work, getting your own car makes a huge difference. But once you have your own car, the difference between a Prius and a Lexus isn’t as big.

This quote really resonates with me because many times in my life I’ve paid extra for something in the hopes of feeling a lot happier. But 9 times out of 10, paying more doesn’t really leave me satisfied. In fact, I feel worse because I realize I could have done without the extra cheese on my sandwich.

The big lie about happiness and wealth is that they are proportional. But twice as much money doesn’t mean twice as much happiness. Once your basic needs, comforts, and security are met, your happiness depends a lot more on how purposeful and fulfilled you are.

How you can apply this

Always remember: how much more money you make doesn’t matter beyond a certain point. Determine how much you feel you need to live comfortably and have the freedom you desire, and base your financial goals around that. Earn more if you can, but don’t burn yourself out by chasing endless mountains of cash.

3. “When it came rolling in, the money affected us all… That’s the nature of money. Whether you have it or not, whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, it will try to define your days. Our task as human beings is not to let it.” — Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike

Money is one of the easiest things to be attached to. Whether you’re rich or poor, attachment to money can drive your decisions and drastically mess your life up.

It affects how you are viewed and how you see others. Having a lot of it can inflate your ego and make you blind to more important things in life. And having less of it can make you feel inferior and unimportant.

One of your biggest tasks in life is to not let material wealth affect your mind. To love your life based on your values and not let money change your attitude and perceptions. It’s a constant battle but one worth fighting.

How you can apply this

Having lots of money is fine. But being attached to it isn’t. Don’t let it be your master. Use it as a tool to add value to your life and those around you. Stay true to who you are as you make money and remember who you were before you had it.

4. “If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” — Henry Ford

This one may seem obvious but didn’t really occur to me till recently.

It’s true that you become rich by saving and spending wisely. But the tides of life can change and leave you with nothing if all you have is money. You could fall ill and end up cleaning out your savings on the bill. You could get robbed, scammed, or invest in something that loses you money. Saving doesn’t guarantee anything.

But knowledge, experience, and ability can help you build and recover from pretty much anything. How many entrepreneurs and experienced businessmen have lost all their money in a failed startup and consistently managed to rise up out of the ashes like a phoenix?

Money comes and goes, but your knowledge and abilities can’t be taken away from you. When you have the skills, you are truly in control and can be confident of rising no matter how many times you fall.

How you can apply this

Focus on the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will make you valuable, instead of the money. A high paying job, inheriting money, and winning the lottery don’t ensure stability. Pick up as many skills as you can and constantly keep learning to increase your value.

5. “The man who dies…rich, dies disgraced” — Andrew Carnegie

This may be a bit of a controversial one. But I agree with the message he’s trying to send.

With a net worth of approximately $310 Billion, Andrew Carnegie was one of the richest men to have lived. He believed the rich had a duty to give back to society and donated much of his wealth in philanthropy.

We can’t take our money with us when we die. Amassing large amounts of money and keeping it for ourselves is greedy and purposeless. Instead, once you are comfortable, it’s your duty to help those who aren’t.

This doesn’t just mean giving once you’re rich. It’s more of an attitude of giving back to society in whatever way you can. Life isn’t meant to be a competitive game of survival. There’s enough wealth to go around. So we need to help each other.

How you can apply this

Giving back isn’t all about charity. It means using your wealth to benefit others. It can be anything.

• Offer to pay for your friend’s lunch if they’re running low this month.
• Invest in a business that empowers people.
• Sponsor someone’s education.
• Buy a farm that provides jobs and food for your community.

Just give back in whatever way you can.

A bonus quote

“I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.” — John D. Rockefeller

I find this quote from the richest man in American history sums up the above points nicely. A life spent in pursuit of pleasure doesn’t really lead you anywhere. And the pursuit of pleasure is largely connected to the pursuit of money.

• When you focus on money, you lose sight of what’s important.
• There’s a limit to how much comfort and pleasure you can get, even if you accumulate silly amounts of money.
• Being detached from the comforts of money is worth the struggle.
• Our value is not in stacks of money and a fancy lifestyle, it’s in the knowledge and abilities we gain.
• Wealth is not simply for our own pleasure but should be used to benefit others.

These principles are echoed by many more of the world’s wealthiest. The patterns show up in all their books and interviews.

There seem to be secret laws that govern the accumulation and spending of wealth. And more and more people are beginning to understand and share them for the rest of us to pick up on. So it’s probably a good idea to take note.