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10 Wild “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Author Predictions That Actually Came True

From market crashes to gold surges, Kiyosaki’s bold calls have often hit the mark.

By Sarah Barkley

Edited by Michael Kurko

Updated Dec. 17, 2024

Robert Kiyosaki is a businessman, motivational speaker, and author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad” who is also known for his controversial predictions.

He encourages people to build wealth through assets and builds his brand around financial education.

While many of his forecasts haven’t come to fruition, here are some controversial predictions Robert Kiyosaki made that did come true.

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Warning of a 2008 financial crash

In the years before the 2008 financial crisis, Kiyosaki warned about the risks of excessive debt and overleveraging in the housing market.

He predicted that it would lead to a collapse, which came true and triggered a global downturn with the subprime mortgage crisis. This downturn led to foreclosures, a credit crisis, and the Great Recession.

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Emphasis on precious metals as a hedge

Kiyosaki has advocated that investing in gold and silver can protect against economic uncertainty and inflation.

During the 2008 financial crisis, gold and silver prices increased because investors viewed them as safer options.

In 2020 and 2021, when there was a period of economic volatility, his prediction that precious metals would have more value than currency proved correct again when the prices of gold and silver rose while the value of the U.S. dollar decreased.

Concerns over federal debt and money printing

Kiyosaki warned that the U.S. government's high debt levels and excess money printing habits could have negative repercussions, including inflation and hyperinflation. In 2021 and 2022, his predictions proved true as inflation soared and currency value decreased.

Additionally, since 2008, the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has been lower, and it got even lower in 2020-2024 because of economic stimulus measures.

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Skepticism of the U.S. dollar’s stability

Kiyosaki predicted that the value of the U.S. dollar could decrease due to government debt and monetary policies. Now, global shifts toward other currencies show that his forecast was accurate.

Plus, U.S. currency has lower purchasing power than when he made the prediction, highlighting the importance of investing in tangible assets.

Rise of cryptocurrency

Kiyosaki was cautious of cryptocurrencies at first, but once he learned more about them, he predicted that Bitcoin could hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.

Later, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin didn’t lose value when government-controlled currency did. Now, cryptocurrencies are a popular digital asset for diversifying financial portfolios.

Traditional pension decline

Kiyosaki forecasted that traditional pensions would eventually fail or become insufficient and encouraged people to invest in assets to prepare for retirement. Assets like real estate and stock don’t lose value like government currency.

Now, many people find that their pension plans are underfunded and Social Security is at risk. Personal savings and investments outside government or corporate systems often mean higher retirement savings.

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Financial education becoming essential

Kiyosaki has emphasized the need for financial education and predicted that, eventually, financial literacy would be essential for building wealth.

Now, people strive to learn more about achieving financial independence, showing that Kiyosaki’s prediction is accurate. The growing popularity of financial education books, blogs, podcasts, vlogs, and other content shows that people use it as a helpful tool.

Wealth gap growth

Kiyosaki predicted that the wealth gap between the rich and poor would grow as the poor got poorer, the rich got richer, and the middle class shrank.

The middle class is shrinking because their wages tend to remain stagnant, and there are fewer advancement opportunities. While people remain dependent on wages from one traditional job, the wealthy use assets, investments, and businesses to increase their wealth.

Real estate as a wealth-building tool

In his books, Kiyosaki emphasized the importance of real estate, especially rental and other income-producing properties, for building wealth.

After the financial crash in 2008, Kiyosaki wrote “The Real Book of Real Estate: Real Experts. Real Stories. Real Life.” In this book, he honed in on how, despite market fluctuations, real estate remains a secure source of passive income.

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Real estate market recovery

Kiyosaki predicted that the real estate market would always rebound after it crashed, even after significant crashes. This prediction is one of the reasons he considers real estate a solid long-term investment.

His prediction has come true multiple times, with the market bouncing back and providing wealth-building opportunities and financial security for those who invested. Buying real estate during market downturns helps ensure that your property increases in value during the rebound.

Bottom line

Robert Kiyosaki made many controversial predictions, but he was right about some things. This led many to explore his financial education resources to learn how to withstand economic downturns.

Kiyosaki continues encouraging others to build wealth and has a book called “Guide to Becoming Rich Without Cutting Up Your Credit Cards,” detailing how anyone can achieve financial success through specific tools and strategies.

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