There have been many changes in our economy and the investing landscape since Rich Dad Poor Dad was first published in 1997. Fourteen years ago, Robert Kiyosaki challenged conventional wisdom with his bold statement that “your house is not an asset.” His contrarian views on money and investing were met with skepticism, criticism, and outrage.
In 2002, Robert’s book, Rich Dad’s Prophecy, advised that we prepare for an upcoming financial market crash. In 2006, Robert joined forces with Donald Trump to write Why We Want You To Be Rich, a book inspired by their concern for the shrinking middle class in America.
Robert continues to be a passionate advocate for the importance and power of financial education. Today, in the wake of the subprime fiasco, record home foreclosures, and a global economic meltdown that is still raging, his words seem not only prophetic, but enlightened. Many skeptics have become believers.
In preparing the 2011 edition of Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant, Robert realized two things: that his message and teachings have withstood the test of time, and that the investment landscape, the world in which investors operate, has changed dramatically. These changes have affected, and will continue to affect, those in the I (Investor) quadrant and have fueled Robert’s decision to update an important section in this book—Chapter Five: The Five Levels of Investors.