I’ve exposed Robert Kiyosaki multiple times as one of the most prolific con men in the personal finance world. His business model is built on deception, misinformation, and psychological manipulation, targeting the financially illiterate, desperate, and easily influenced.
What Drives Kiyosaki’s Endless Stream of False Claims?
Simple: greed.
Like every money-obsessed grifter who masquerades as a “financial educator,” Kiyosaki is motivated solely by cash. And he’ll say anything, no matter how absurd, to get it—from whoever’s naïve enough to fall for his shtick.
He’s spent decades pumping out nonsense with the full cooperation of his biggest enabler: the media. Together, they’ve helped him turn a mountain of lies into a mountain of money.
Kiyosaki’s method is straightforward: flood the public with disinformation and create confusion. Once people are mentally disarmed, he offers “solutions” that require them to hand over money—books, seminars, real estate “education,” MLM schemes, you name it.
He operates in the same cesspool as Tony Robbins, Dave Ramsey, James Altucher, Patrick Bet-David, Brian Rose, Mike Maloney, Doug Casey, Porter Stansberry, Max Keiser, Alex Jones, Peter Schiff, and a long list of disinfo hucksters who exploit fear, confusion, and economic ignorance.
Below is a breakdown of just a few of the most dangerous and fraudulent claims Kiyosaki has made. This is by no means exhaustive—it will be expanded over time. If you have documented examples, email them with sources.
1. “401(k)s Are a Scam”
This is perhaps the most flagrant lie Kiyosaki pushes, and it should immediately disqualify him from any serious financial discussion.
He isn’t alone. Grant Cardone—another media-manufactured clown and Scientology-backed real estate pumper—says the same nonsense to lure in broke social media followers, then convinces them to invest in his shady, opaque real estate deals.
Let’s be blunt: Cardone couldn’t raise capital from professional investors because his returns are garbage and his fee structure is abusive. That’s why he targets idiots. And that’s exactly what Kiyosaki does, too.
Their strategy mirrors the gold bug con: trash legitimate investment tools (like 401ks and fiat currency), then position themselves as saviors offering secret pathways to “real wealth.”
In reality, 401(k)s are one of the most effective retirement vehicles ever created. Many come with employer matching—free money. Contributions lower your taxable income. And they give access to diversified, low-cost investment options. Are some plans better than others? Of course. But that doesn’t make the entire system a “scam.”
Kiyosaki calls 401(k)s a scam because it benefits him financially. His audience, usually people in their 30s or 40s with little to no retirement savings, are vulnerable and desperate. He feeds them lies to make them feel better about their situation, then sells them worthless books and snake oil “education.”
Once he convinces them that 401(k)s, capital gains, college, and jobs are all scams, they’re mentally primed to fall for his fake “real education.”
2. “Having a Job Is for Losers”
Kiyosaki has said repeatedly that “jobs are for losers.” This toxic lie is meant to shame people out of honest work so they’ll feel the urge to “do something else”—like buy his trash courses or join his MLM-like pyramid of financial disinformation.
This tactic preys on people dissatisfied with their careers or facing economic hardship. He pretends to offer an escape, but what he really sells is fantasy wrapped in manipulation.
And let’s be clear—Kiyosaki didn’t get rich from investing. He got rich from convincing desperate people to pay him for advice. There's a word for that: fraud.
3. “College Is a Scam”
According to Kiyosaki, formal education is a scam. That’s ironic coming from a man who built his entire fortune selling so-called “education” that isn’t accredited, isn’t based on evidence, and isn’t even taught by him.
He says college is for suckers because it threatens his business model. Educated people are far less likely to fall for his nonsense. He wants a dumbed-down, financially illiterate audience that doesn’t question him.
But here’s the truth: college may not be for everyone, and costs are a legitimate issue, but higher education remains the single biggest factor in long-term career success, problem-solving skills, and earning power.
Kiyosaki’s attacks on college, teachers, and intellectual development aren’t random—they’re designed to destroy critical thinking so he can sell lies to the gullible.
4. “Capital Gains Are a Scam”
This one is almost comical. Capital gains—profits from investments—are literally the goal of investing. If you buy something and it increases in value, that’s a win.
But Kiyosaki tells his followers capital gains are a scam, again to deter them from investing in stocks or ETFs (which he can’t profit from). Instead, he pushes gold, silver, and real estate “training,” where the only guaranteed ROI is for Kiyosaki himself.
Even more absurd, Kiyosaki praises real estate as the best asset class—which is only profitable through capital gains and rental income. So which is it, Robert?
This blatant contradiction proves that he’s either a liar, an idiot, or both.
5. “The U.S. Dollar Is Fake Money”
This is where the grift shifts to gold and silver.
Kiyosaki claims the dollar is worthless, yet he demands to be paid in dollars. He calls it “fake,” while cashing millions in seminar fees, book sales, and YouTube views—all paid in dollars.
He pushes this “fake money” narrative to scare people into buying gold and silver. Of course, he just happens to be partnered with Mike Maloney—another gold scammer—who makes money pitching nonsense and fear in order to sell precious metals to suckers terrified by fabricated economic collapse scenarios.
Kiyosaki doesn’t understand (or pretends not to understand) global macroeconomics. The dollar is the world’s reserve currency for a reason. It’s not going away, and no, gold is not going to replace it.
6. “Teachers Are Fake”
This is one of his most disgraceful lies.
America’s teachers—underpaid, overworked, and under constant attack—are labeled “fake” by a man who lies about writing his own book. It’s a disgusting, baseless smear designed to convince people not to trust actual educators so they’ll spend money on his con-artist curriculum.
The irony is staggering. Kiyosaki calls trained educators “fake” while marketing himself as a self-made genius—even though “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” was ghostwritten and is based on a made-up story.
His war on education is strategic: destroy trust in real teachers so the masses turn to self-appointed “gurus” like him for “truth.”
7. Kiyosaki Flip-Flops Constantly on Real Estate
One day, he’s pumping gold and trashing real estate. The next, he’s bragging about how much real estate he buys when prices drop. This inconsistency isn’t harmless—it’s a deliberate con tactic.
Kiyosaki has made so many unverifiable and contradictory claims about his real estate “success” that it’s safe to assume 99.9% of them are fabricated or grossly distorted.
Example: In 2016, while he was fearmongering about the “worst stock market crash in history” (which he falsely claimed to have predicted in a 2002 book), Kiyosaki also boasted he made more money in 2011 than ever before. He said he made a killing in real estate in 2007 due to the collapse.
If that’s true, where’s the proof? Why is he always vague? Why has he never once presented a track record?
Footnote: He never predicted any crash—certainly not the one he claimed for 2016, which didn’t happen. His idea of a “prediction” is making vague doomsday comments and hoping people forget the details.
Even more comical: In 2007, he claimed he was heavily investing in the stock market. A year later, in an interview with Peter Schiff, he claimed he doesn’t invest in the stock market at all.
So which is it? The truth is, he just says whatever suits his sales pitch that day.
8. Kiyosaki Filed for Bankruptcy—Three Times
This self-proclaimed financial expert has filed for bankruptcy multiple times. That alone should make any rational person walk away.
You can’t be a financial guru and file bankruptcy over and over again. It’s a contradiction. And it exposes the lie behind his carefully crafted media image.
Also worth noting: after 30 years of bragging, he’s never provided proof of a single successful investment. No portfolio. No audited performance. Nothing.
9. Kiyosaki Lies About Predicting Things
Kiyosaki constantly brags about having predicted economic events. But the record shows he hasn’t predicted a damn thing.
Rambling about generic fears like “a crash is coming” every year doesn’t count as a prediction. That’s just noise.
If you want to see what an actual, detailed prediction looks like, read Chapter 10 of America’s Financial Apocalypse. That’s how real analysts forecast.
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