This post will make you cry.

But, it is a post that I have to write.

It’s one that I have been putting off … and, off … and, off.

Why?

Because, I am going to tear apart one last (well, until the next) tenant of finance …

… one that even I have not dared touch until now.

But, I have finally decided to bite the bullet, because there has been a whole generation weaned on an aspiration that, in itself, is a lie.

Yes, I am talking about:

[shock]

The Myth of The Millionaire Next Door.

[horror]

In case you are too young to remember, The Millionaire Next Door is the title of a 1996 best seller by Thomas Stanley and William D. Danko that was touted at the time as revolutionary but, to me, produced a totally mundane and obvious conclusion:

Most of the millionaire households that they profiled did not have the extravagant lifestyles that most people would assume. This finding is backed up by surveys indicating how little these millionaire households have spent on such things as cars, watches, suits, and other luxury products/services. Most importantly, the book gives a list of reasons for why these people managed to accumulate so much wealth (the top one being that “They live below their means”).

[sigh]

The perception after this book was released, becoming an instant – and enduring – best-seller, is that the typical American millionaire is actually your neighbor, the small business owner who has been working for 20+ years on his business, investing (and, reinvesting) its profits rather than spending on lifestyle and luxuries.

In other words, somebody who slips under your radar; somebody you probably ignore; for good reason …

It’s all fine and dandy: like all “spend less than you earn and save, save, save”-driven strategies you, too, will no doubt become a millionaire by the time that you retire, but there are two problems:

1. What about inflation? Start now and, if you take 20 years to become a millionaire, you are really still only half of one in today’s dollars, and

2. Who says that you can wait 20 years?

I certainly couldn’t.

That’s why I call this type of ‘Millionaire Next Door’ business – an ATM business – little more than ‘a job with benefits’ …

… if you really do want to have one of these businesses, then here’s what you need to do:

Do NOT spend the spare business cashflow on personal lifestyle building (homes, cars, vacations, etc.); instead, use that cashflow to fund an aggressive investment portfolio, outside of your business: one that will one day grow to replace your personal income i.e. the amount of money that you DO take from the business to live off.

When the day comes that this passive income surpasses your personal business income, you become free.

However, this freedom does not come simply from saving and investing passively – otherwise, you are simply following the advice given in the Millionaire Next Door and you, too, will slave for the next 20+ years to get there.

Rather, this true financial freedom comes from investing your business profits aggressively and actively, with a mixture of your money and borrowed money, in things such as direct stocks (no funds for you!), and real-estate.

In this fashion, you may still need to work your business for 20 years before you shut it down, but at least you will retire a real millionaire (or better) in today’s dollars.

Far better, instead of starting a lifestyle business that relies on YOU being the front man (e.g. lawn-mowing round; accountancy practice; design studio; etc.), or a business that is tied to a single location (such as a car-wash; a restaurant; a corner shop) …

… start a business that can scale like McDonalds, invest aggressively, and you (too) may be able to do it in 7 😉

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