By Aditya Kulkarni
A few years ago, a conference on investment and finance was held in the United States. One of the speakers was Bill Gates. During the question-and-answer session, someone posed a question that made the audience laugh:
Would the richest man in the world allow his daughter to marry a poor or modest man?
Gates’ response offered a perspective that can inspire anyone.
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| Bill Gates explains why his daughter can’t marry a poor man |
Bill Gates’ Reply
“First of all, understand that wealth does not simply mean having a large bank account. True wealth is the ability to create wealth.For example, someone who wins a lottery or makes a fortune gambling—even if he wins 100 million dollars—is not truly rich. He is a poor man with a lot of money. That’s why 90 percent of lottery millionaires end up poor again within five years.
On the other hand, many entrepreneurs are rich even when they have little money. They are on the path to wealth because they are developing financial intelligence. That mindset is true wealth.”Gates explained that the difference between the rich and the poor lies in attitude and action.
- “The rich are willing to work and learn to become wealthy, while the poor may resort to desperate measures to get rich.”
- A young person who trains, learns, and constantly seeks to improve is already rich in spirit.
- A young person who blames the government, believes all wealthy people are thieves, and spends time criticizing others displays a poor mindset.
- “The rich believe they need information and training to succeed. The poor believe others must give them money to start.”
Gates clarified that when he said his daughter would not marry a poor man, he was not talking about money. He was talking about a man’s ability to create wealth.
He added an example:
“Most criminals are poor in mindset. When they encounter money, they lose control because they have never learned how to earn it honestly.One day, a bank guard found a bag full of money and returned it to the bank manager. People called him a fool, but he was actually a rich man without money. A year later, the bank offered him a job as a receptionist. Three years later, he became a customer manager. Ten years later, he was managing the bank’s regional operations, supervising hundreds of employees, and earning annual bonuses far greater than the amount he could have stolen.”
Gates concluded:
“Wealth is, above all, a state of mind.”
Editor’s Note:
This story has not been independently verified for factual accuracy, but the message remains valuable. Take the lesson to heart and disregard the rest.