Rich Dad's latest scam?

[Kung Fu Steve]

I'll step in and defend the board game.

It's fantastic.

No game is ever going to mimic real life perfectly but if you have a better way to teach kids, teens, and adults about making, managing, and investing money -- I'd like to hear it!

 

[broswoodwork]

I've been seeing adds for "Rich Dad's Boring Trading Method" in my news feed. Out of curiosity I clicked on one and was taken to an "advertorial" (what the hell?). In it Robert Kiyosaki claims that he wants to help you get rich investing - using his boring method. All you need to do is attend his Weekly Cash Flow Summit. I'm so disappointed in Mr. Kiyosaki. RDPD was the first entrepreneurial book I ever read. It opened my eyes to the possibility of a different life. After a few years of reading his books, playing his game (literally) and even attending one of his "free" seminars, I realized what MJ would later confirm. Mr. Kiyosaki was getting rich selling us how to get rich.

So while I will always credit Mr. Kiyosaki for opening my eyes to a different life, I can only shake my head in disappointment at his methods. He is filling a need - the need that so many feel in wanting to be rich. He is filling that need with ideas and methods of dubious possibility. And it would appear he is getting rich in the process.

You bought the $200 board game too?

I was beginning to think I was his only sale. Ahhh... to be young again.

 

[Ernman]

I've been seeing adds for "Rich Dad's Boring Trading Method" in my news feed. Out of curiosity I clicked on one and was taken to an "advertorial" (what the hell?). In it Robert Kiyosaki claims that he wants to help you get rich investing - using his boring method. All you need to do is attend his Weekly Cash Flow Summit. I'm so disappointed in Mr. Kiyosaki. RDPD was the first entrepreneurial book I ever read. It opened my eyes to the possibility of a different life. After a few years of reading his books, playing his game (literally) and even attending one of his "free" seminars, I realized what MJ would later confirm. Mr. Kiyosaki was getting rich selling us how to get rich.

So while I will always credit Mr. Kiyosaki for opening my eyes to a different life, I can only shake my head in disappointment at his methods. He is filling a need - the need that so many feel in wanting to be rich. He is filling that need with ideas and methods of dubious possibility. And it would appear he is getting rich in the process.

 

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[broswoodwork]

You're going to love this...At the height of my Kool-Aid drinking, I would have friends over to play the game! It was like poker night.

Haha. Yeah... I'm guilty of roping a few family members into it too.

I thought I was the shit, and so did they, because I owned a few houses at 23. Little did we all know, I wasn't awesome; the credit markets just forgot to take their psych meds.

Don't even misses "the good times" to be honest, and I'm eternally grateful to MJ for building this place, along with his functional philosophy.

F*ck Rich Dad...

 

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[broswoodwork]

Lol, I've got it, too

We should all get together and play a game! The game mechanic of it raining 3bed/ 2baths that double in value every payday really recharges my optimism.

 

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[Ernman]

I'll step in and defend the board game.

It's fantastic.

No game is ever going to mimic real life perfectly but if you have a better way to teach kids, teens, and adults about making, managing, and investing money -- I'd like to hear it!

I don't mean to sound as if I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, but I enjoyed the game as well and agree it serves a purpose. For instance, playing it a few times drives home that being a doctor isn't any better than being a plumber when it comes to being wealthy. I also like one of the key points to winning - if you make more in "passive" income than you spend - you're a winner. This one lesson alone is worth the price of the game. That reminds me - I have a used RDPD game that I'm willing to part with at the sacrifice price of $100.

 

[JAJT]

"advertorial" (what the hell?)

It sounds like you've never heard of this before, so I'll chime in - advertorials are real things and have been around for a LOOOONG time. We're talking well before the internet.

They are nothing more or less than an advertisement disguised as an editorial. You can find them all the time in traditional print media - magazines, newspapers, etc...

Last I checked they typically work really, really well. Most people don't notice that they are ads and they are typically written to sound like a neutral third party is recommending the thing being advertised. It doesn't help that in many cases the ad can be really really well hidden - like a full page article on a topic with otherwise great information but with only one company/product mentioned/quoted in the entire article. Doesn't look/sound like an ad but you can be sure that anyone interested in the topic is going to take note of the amazing sounding company that the article talked about.

I believe by law (at least in Canada, don't know about the USA) any advertorials are required to plainly state that they are advertorials because of how deceptive they are often written.

 

[Here]

I read rich dad just a few years ago, after seeing it recommended several times. That book convinced me to abandon work for hire and go after passive income instead. And another google search convinced me not to invest any further in Kiyosaki's work.
I think his original book does have benefit. It's quite popular and is what leads many to think about passive income.

 

[Dan_Cardone]

I LOVE Robert K.

Don't get me wrong, I have only ever read his book once years ago and have no idea what any of his other products are, nor am I interested in buying them, but when a client complains to me that they cant raise their prices because "no one will pay that" I can point to his overpriced monopoly rip-off and make my point.

"Dude sells cardboard and plastic for a couple hundred bucks and you don't think you can raise the prices on your very valuable service by 5%?"

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

If I would have had some spare change at the time I would have bought myself one. Maybe even all my friends and relatives lol. Thank god I didn’t do that. I didn’t know he was so full of shit until I was planning on going to one of his events. A quick google search and my dreams were were shattered.

And here exactly is the problem with anyone saying "it has no value" -- you easily convince the newbies -- that have no clue -- that the guy is the devil.

The guy himself is a dick. I've met him in person 3 times. Each time, not exactly the nicest person. However, his wife was an angel.

The books themselves were incredible. You could argue they were written by Sharon instead of Robert (which is more than fair) -- but realistically the lessons came from DC Cordova (who nobody knows) who learned directly from R. Buckminster Fuller... a certified genius.

The cashflow quadrant and other ideas came straight from him.

In fact, Robert was a Money & You instructor long before he wrote the books... he got kicked out of that group, not because he wrote the books teaching the lessons from that program, but because he badmouthed his father.

I understand it's easy to sit online and come to conjecture about what you think about these people you've never met but before you get in a huge huff -- I'd suggest you meet them and make your own judgment.

 

[Ernman]

You bought the $200 board game too?

Lol, I've got it, too

We should all get together and play a game! The game mechanic of it raining 3bed/ 2baths that double in value every payday really recharges my optimism.

You're going to love this...At the height of my Kool-Aid drinking, I would have friends over to play the game! It was like poker night.

 

[WJK]

RK and MJ are selling the same thing. Independence - financial security - and passive income. Being free.

I have tons of books, several of which are from RK. I know more than ten times more about being a real entrepreneur than I did just five years ago. RDPD was the first eye-opener to me, and there are many excellent lessons in that book. For those here that know more than RK - please impart your knowledge upon us. I am always ready to listen to good advice.

But, instead, we have the peanut choir here jumping on RK for some unknown reason. If you all are so smart why are you here?

I do the same thing as RK does - in a roundabout way. I have learned tons on how to market in the digital realm. I am promoting that to other business ventures in an infomercial way - but one on one. Is that bad? Maybe. Should I be ashamed of charging money to impart the knowledge that I've learned? Maybe. If you think so - then do it as I did it - learn it by trial and error and studying your butt off. Then, after 2-3 months, go with it.

Or - let me teach and guide you. The list of businesspeople that recognize the value in what I can do for them is a mile long. Some don't think they need any help - and for those, their competition sends their thanks!

I have several pricing models. I will charge per lead - or, I will set it up and you can run the show yourself - or I will oversee the entire operation and be a hands-on coach every step of the way. I will also work for a percentage of sales that I bring in. It's a no-lose proposition. Guess who loves me? Everyone I've talked to. Think it's easy? Sure - anyone can do it, and you know more than RK too? Then go do it. The world needs superstars. For every one that I've talked to, they are more than glad to pay me to handle this *very* sticky part of their business.

And where did I learn some of the basics I now know? Hell - I'm a genius - I was born with my vast intellect.

No, I wasn't. I cut my teeth with RK. And therefore - I will stick up for him.

You armchair wannabes have a go at it. There's always room at the top!

Bonus point - who said, "See you at the top?" Hint - one of the early pioneers in sales and entrepreneurship - which I also have several books by him.

My Mensa group meeting is here. Have to run (I teach them). I think for the next lesson, we'll cover the quadrant methods of income, which I will borrow directly from RK himself.

When I started in real estate in 1976, there was no training and almost no information available to get me started. I remember walking into the RE with my newly minted license. I was in my early 20s, but I looked 16. My broker said, "There your desk, there's your phone -- go to work." After I put my pen and pencil in the desk drawer, I went back to my broker and asked him what I supposed to do. He told me, "Go knock on doors." Then he turned back to his work. I asked what should I say? "Ask if they want to sell their house," he contemptuously replied as he handed me a blank stack of business cards. I filled out my name on my new business cards with a blue pen and I did what he said. That was my total training from my broker. I cried for my first 3 months in the RE business. People were mean to me and I had no idea what I doing.
I haunted the book stores for information on how to sell. There was very little information available. Tommy Hawkins came out a couple of years later with some tapes on how he became successful. I memorized his tapes.
Investing in RE was a whole other subject. I first learned about the craft from a group of men we called The Forty Thieves. They did Equity Purchasing -- that we now call flipping. And they did it all cash in the Los Angeles ghetto. I didn't have 2 cents to rub together at the time. I was a young woman and females were not welcome in their circle. But, I proved that I could sniff out the deals. Eventually, I had money backers, a crew of men who fixed my properties and I was on a roll. And yes, RK's book came out and it a welcome wealth of information to me.
Why did I go through all of that pain? I had a college degree. Women's wages at that time were so low that my husband made more money as a common labor than me. In RE, selling on commission, they had to pay me for every deal for a prearranged percentage, even though I was a woman.
I'll never say anything bad about RK or anyone else who was able to get a book published then. The publishing system was totally against them.

 

[WJK]

The real Fastlane is made by Kiyosaki selling his books and seminars, if you follow his advice, you are the one on the Slowlane.

I guess time goes by when you are having fun... When that book was originally written, the idea of doing something other having a job was revolutionary.

 

[Strategery]

You bought the $200 board game too?

I was beginning to think I was his only sale. Ahhh... to be young again.

Lol, I've got it, too

 

[biophase]

The very first BnP’s had hours of cashflow game playing scheduled during the meet ups.

I’m pretty sure most of the old timers here had played cashflow many times.

 

[francevalue]

The real Fastlane is made by Kiyosaki selling his books and seminars, if you follow his advice, you are the one on the Slowlane.

 

[MattR82]

Seems rich dad poor dad was a great book to get started on for many others, not just myself. I wouldn't have ended up reading TMF if it weren't for that book.

Feel sorry for those spending thousands at his seminars though. But the book was a lightbulb moment for me.

 

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[IlseVdG]

Seems rich dad poor dad was a great book to get started on for many others, not just myself. I wouldn't have ended up reading TMF if it weren't for that book.

Feel sorry for those spending thousands at his seminars though. But the book was a lightbulb moment for me.

I feel exactly the same. It was the starting point.
Then, a few months later, I had a similar experience as @Ernman mentioned. I immediately checked out, when I saw the method that was used.

A few days later I got an email:

"Thank you for attending your Strategy Session with Robert Kiyosaki!
(note: I didn't)

You’ve already made a statement that you care about your financial future and want to increase your cash flow. You are still interested in increasing your monthly cash flow…Right?

IlseVdG, is fear of failure holding you back?

We understand. You’re not alone. Robert’s team has already helped thousands of people over the last 15 years with the same fears! Just click here to read more about how they did it. If they did it, you can do it, too... with Robert’s help!

blablabla"

I was a bit appalled by the 'fear of failure' touch there. And went on. Found MJ's books later on (thank God). Then this forum. Then .... It never stops. But his book was the beginning.

 

[moneytree3006]

$200 board game?!?! I'm going to have to Google investigate this... I can't believe it's a real thing

 

[PizzaOnTheRoof]

His seminars aren’t actually taught by him.

He hired an outside “sales” company and pays salespeople commission to give the live seminars.

They even encourage you to call your creditor and raise your limit so you can afford the training.

There was a video on YT of some news channel exposing him but I forgot the name.

 

[ZCP]

cashflow for kids is a great game! my kids loved playing it and learned a lot.
has helped them in their businesses.

you can always get something out of everyone!

 

[WJK]

Bleh this makes me want to cry I already feel like everyone is simply trying to sell me something, and my anxiety doesn't help. Cuz of this paranoia, it makes the idea of selling something really scary to me too.

Uh??? What??? It sounds like you're trying to sell yourself on the idea that you can sit this moment out. Your fear is an excuse that you have granted yourself to do nothing -- which is a decision in itself. This is the only moment you have. Yesterday is already gone and tomorrow never comes. So, what's your plan to extract yourself from this self-imposed prison?

 

[Ernman]

A lot of the stuff in the RDPD books is the same type of stuff we learned in the Fast Lane books so not very honest to completely trash everything in the RDPD line. I don't agree 100% on everything from Kiyosaki or MJ but they have both provided invaluable insight for me personally to the world of business and investing.

Action Mike - please take a moment and reread my original post - the one that started this thread. I'm not trashing everything in the RDPD line. Like many of us here, RDPD was the book that opened my eyes to another possibility. Unfortunately, and also like many of us here, I came to see the other side of RK. The exploitive, manipulative side that was getting rich off of our hopes to achieve something better. At one point I owned a copy of every book he, or his associates, published and the board game which I actively promoted to my friends - even had board game events at my house. That was shattered when I attended my first RD event and I realized it was just a con-job. I suspect - purely my own opinion - that RK started with the right intentions, then fell in love with the pursuit of money at the expense of his dignity.

Perhaps that is the real lesson. How do we pursue wealth with dignity. I honestly believe we can.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

I still have it in the closet back at my dad's place. It was an incredibly investment for me. Robert is a dick in person. His books and boardgame were great for me.

 

[Ernman]

His seminars aren’t actually taught by him.

Exactly - I was so P1**#% when I attended his seminar and figured this out. And yes, they pushed increasing our credit limit and buying some informative CD's and …. Fortunately, the light bulb went off in my head before I got myself in too deep.

 

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[Mhinto]

And here exactly is the problem with anyone saying "it has no value" -- you easily convince the newbies -- that have no clue -- that the guy is the devil.

The guy himself is a dick. I've met him in person 3 times. Each time, not exactly the nicest person. However, his wife was an angel.

The books themselves were incredible. You could argue they were written by Sharon instead of Robert (which is more than fair) -- but realistically the lessons came from DC Cordova (who nobody knows) who learned directly from R. Buckminster Fuller... a certified genius.

The cashflow quadrant and other ideas came straight from him.

In fact, Robert was a Money & You instructor long before he wrote the books... he got kicked out of that group, not because he wrote the books teaching the lessons from that program, but because he badmouthed his father.

I understand it's easy to sit online and come to conjecture about what you think about these people you've never met but before you get in a huge huff -- I'd suggest you meet them and make your own judgment.

I’d hate to say he has no value. I definitely learned some things from his books. It’s just hard to trust what he has to say after you realize everything is an up sell. It’s comparable to Tony Robins and his investment advice.

Newbies are easily convinced. I think Robert knows that. I think that he makes a lot of money off that fact.

 

[Strategery]

"See you at the top?"

Zig Ziglar

Now let's hear it for Diane Morgan and the Zig Ziglar singers!

 

[WJK]

I don't like adverts personally but its not a uncommon practice.

The cash flow game is about $80 not $200, I think the very first version was $200 but the price went down a long, long time ago. There are many good quality board games that sell for up to $200 that are entertainment focused. Even a run of the mill board game is about $40-$60.

IMO the game is a lot of fun and helps teach the value of buying assets and not liabilities, going after investments and business income so you don't have to rely on a job, the important of keeping a financial statement etc. No offense to anyone but if it isn't blatantly obvious the game is not meant to be a actual step by step guide on how to do it then you need to focus on your entrepreneurial education.

From what I understand the company that did the boost your credit limit so you can buy the next level course was a company that basically licensed his courses or he subbed it to them to teach and run it and once he found out they were doing that hew broke it off with them.

I am not particularly a Kiyosaki fan and I do think there has been some questionable stuff go in in some of the courses he sells at least in the past but I really enjoyed his books and learned a lot, at least the first 5-10 or so that I read so I have to be honest that I think it provided value for the cost of a book.

I have no interest in going to one of his education courses and I don't know if they have any value. I hate the idea of anyone trying to get you to increase your credit limit but I would hope they are not doing that today. Maybe he really didn't know what was going on or he got caught and then fired the company to look innocent, I don't know, but I do know his material has provided value to me.

People are quick to jump to conclusions about paying for any sort of education but you need to remember just because there are over priced fluff balls out there that does not mean it is a bad thing to pay for a seminar or course if you think the price is reasonable for the content. In reality most information is available for free but I would rather pay $500 to $1,000 for a seminar that can put it all together in a easy to learn and understand format and I can ask any questions that I want than to spend a few hundred hours trying to piece together the puzzle myself. I am very picky and stingy with what I will pay for though because there ARE a lot of rip offs and crappy courses so it is definitely wise to be careful.

Even the Fastlane books cost a bit of money, the Fastlane summit cost something right? It only hurts yourself to be of the mindset that you will only learn from free sources and nothing else.

A lot of the stuff in the RDPD books is the same type of stuff we learned in the Fast Lane books so not very honest to completely trash everything in the RDPD line. I don't agree 100% on everything from Kiyosaki or MJ but they have both provided invaluable insight for me personally to the world of business and investing.

Well said. One nugget is many times well worth the price of the book or course.

 

[Strategery]

Found it while moving!

 

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[Mhinto]

You're going to love this...At the height of my Kool-Aid drinking, I would have friends over to play the game! It was like poker night.

If I would have had some spare change at the time I would have bought myself one. Maybe even all my friends and relatives lol. Thank god I didn’t do that. I didn’t know he was so full of shit until I was planning on going to one of his events. A quick google search and my dreams were were shattered.

 

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