Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and a vocal Bitcoin advocate, calls it ‘criminal’ that children are taught from an early age to work for an inflationary currency, even as Bitcoin’s benefits go unmentioned.
“Poor people are poor because they have no idea what real money is. And so our academic system, you know, my poor dad, professors, they indoctrinate and they train kids, young people even today to work for fake money.”
“Go to school, get a job, work hard, save money, and invest in a 401(k) full of garbage,” Kiyosaki said during a podcast hosted by Bitcoin Collective Co-Founder Jordan Walker on Wednesday.
Kiyosaki didn’t hold back, denouncing central banks as ‘criminal organizations’ and even labeling them ‘Marxists,’ arguing that each time they print money, the rich grow wealthier while other economic classes bear the cost.
“So every time you print money, you print this fake stuff here. Guys like me get richer, but the poor middle class get poorer.”
Inflation, Bitcoin, and Kiyosaki’s Crypto Playbook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1,000 held from August 2000 to August 2005 lost nearly 47% of its purchasing power due to inflation. The Federal Reserve targets 2% annual inflation, but since 2021, it has consistently exceeded that mark, with August’s headline inflation at 2.9% and core inflation at 3.2%.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin has surged over 900% in the past five years, climbing from around $11,670 to roughly $117,200, according to CoinGecko.
Kiyosaki Wishes He Had More Bitcoin
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, revealed that it took him time to understand Bitcoin. He began buying at $6,000 and now holds 60 BTC, worth approximately $7 million.
“And Bitcoin, when it came out, it took me a while to figure it out. Like I bought it at $6,000, and I’m still saying, ‘Why didn’t you buy more?’ Today, I don’t have that many. I have about 60 Bitcoin,” Kiyosaki said.
He now uses income from his rental properties to accumulate Bitcoin, Ethereum, gold, silver, and oil. In April, he predicted Bitcoin could reach $1 million within the next decade.
While bullish, Kiyosaki has also taken contrarian positions, noting that “odds are gold, silver, and Bitcoin will bust too,” at which point he plans to buy more. He also warned investors to approach ETFs cautiously, calling them “paper assets” vulnerable to bank runs, though he acknowledged they remain the easiest way for retail investors to gain exposure.
Global Inflation Drives Crypto Adoption
Kiyosaki’s warnings resonate in countries facing severe inflation. Hyperinflation erodes the purchasing power of ordinary citizens, driving them toward alternatives like crypto.
In Venezuela, for example, Tether stablecoins are increasingly used as inflation surged to 229% annually. At the start of the year, $1 exchanged for 51.95 Venezuelan Bolívar; today, it fetches 161.74 Bolívar, according to Xe.
Similarly, Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, predicts that Argentina’s peso devaluation will push citizens toward the U.S. dollar and Bitcoin. Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal has also urged investors to hold crypto and NFTs to shield themselves from exponential currency debasement.
