Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," built a financial empire around one idea: the wealthy don't save money — they buy assets. While some see his market crash predictions as overblown, others hang on his every word, believing he sees the writing on the wall long before it hits the headlines.
Last week, he took to X with a simple but sharp question:
"HOW MUCH WILL $100 BUY?"
Then he broke it down.
- In 1900, $100 would buy eight months of groceries
- In 1960, that $100 was worth $37
- In 2000, $6
- In 2025, $3.80
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At first glance, the numbers seem extreme. But they're backed by historical inflation data. Using the U.S. Consumer Price Index — which tracks the rising cost of everyday goods — $100 in 1900 has lost more than 97% of its purchasing power. Cumulative inflation has surpassed 3,700%, eroding the value of cash year after year.
That same $100 that once stocked a pantry for months might now cover just a few days of basic groceries — rice, beans, vegetables — for one person. As of 2025, a typical family of four spends more than $1,200 a month on food, based on estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What used to feed a household now barely fills a cart.
This is the heart of Kiyosaki's warning: if you save cash, you're losing — slowly, quietly, and predictably.
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He says the old advice — save your money, put it in the bank, let it grow — doesn't work anymore. In a world of high inflation and low yields, that mindset doesn't build wealth. It drains it. If someone stashed away $100 in 1900 and handed it down untouched, it wouldn't be a blessing today. It'd be a nearly worthless relic.
That's where his real message comes in.
"Money tip #2: Stop being a loser."
"Losers are losers because they continue to think… using old $ ideas… taught them by their mommy and daddies."
"Losers in this crashing economy will fight like dogs… hanging on to old $ ideas… like the rest of the world's losers."
He's not just preaching it — he says he's lived it. Kiyosaki claims he bought a $4.5 million home in 2025 using $450,000 in gold he purchased back in 2000. That's a 10x gain, powered by hard assets and time. While inflation gutted cash, his gold appreciated.
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Then he hits the point again — this time with a twist:
"Stop thinking like an OG loser."
"Open your mind… seek new $ ideas. Old ideas are expensive. New ideas are FREE."
The term "OG" is widely known to mean "original gangster," but Kiyosaki isn't using it to sound cool. He's using it to describe old-school financial thinking — advice passed down from a different time, built for a different economy. Saving cash, building up a bank balance, earning interest, riding it out — in his view, those ideas are not only outdated, they're dangerous. He sees them as the habits of people stuck in a system that no longer works.
Whether you agree with his style or not, the core message is clear: the rules have changed. The dollar you're saving may not be there when you need it most — at least not in the way you think.
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Image: Imagn
