The Forbes’ Billionaire List
A total of 1,826 people are on the new Forbes global billionaire list. I remember when Forbes’ first 400 “rich people” list was published and I was surprised to see Bob Hope on it. I believe he made the cut at $150,000,000. Today, a billion won’t even do it for that list.
Michael Jordan is on the new list along with Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, David Geffen, Giorgio Armani, Mark Zuckerberg, Elizabeth Holmes, Richard Branson, Michael Bloomberg and Ted Turner. How they got so rich is a separate story for each of them. However, all of these people plus 1,181 others on the list are self-made and created their own wealth as entrepreneurs.
What makes this list interesting to me is the many different ways they made their money; and finding a common thread is not hard.They each seized a moment creating new or better products or ways to make it easy for customers to acquire their products.They were the best in what they did and they created excitement In a way that people wanted to associate with them. Michael Jordan did not make his fortune playing basketball – he made it creating excitement and branding himself to stand for excellence.
So, my friends, what can we take away from this list? Here is a short list of some conclusions.
- Detect needs and fill them
- Imagine new ways and uses of existing products
- Visualize new “things” that would make people’s lives better, easier and happier
- Make it simple and convenient to deal with you
- Make your brand stand for excellence, consistency and quality
- Market smartly
- Understand what you do
- Take calculated risks
- Have goals and be laser-focused on achieving them
- Create excitement
- Work harder than everyone else
- Surround yourself with like-minded people
- Recognize the new ways things are done and be an early adopter taking full advantage of what’s new
- Look at the big picture
- Be lucky – but first you must be in the game
- Act, think and breathe success
Opportunities abound all over us. Those that succeed are aware and trying, doing and not wasting time on dead ends, small-time projects or with people that don’t deliver.
Follow your dreams!
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