Rich Dad Poor Dad Author Robert Kiyosaki Carries R20 Billion in Debt as Investment Strategy

• Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-selling self-help book Rich Dad Poor Dad, revealed he carries R20 billion in debt
• The 79-year-old has built his financial empire around borrowing against real estate to generate tax-free income
• Experts are divided on whether his bold debt strategy is financial genius or a risky game ordinary investors should avoid

Robert Kiyosaki, the man who taught millions how to build wealth, has revealed that he personally carries $1.2 billion (roughly R20 billion) in debt. The 79-year-old author of *Rich Dad Poor Dad* shared the figure publicly on the "Get Rich Education" podcast, framing it not as a crisis but as a deliberate wealth-building method.

Kiyosaki has long preached that debt is not inherently bad. His argument is that borrowing money to purchase income-producing assets, particularly real estate, is precisely how the wealthy grow richer. He has studied and applied this approach since 1974 and acknowledged that it is not a strategy suited to everyone.

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What the R20 Billion actually means

His ex-wife and business partner Kim Kiyosaki told Vanity Fair that the headline figure has been widely misunderstood. The debt is tied to a real estate portfolio of roughly 1,500 apartment units held with various partners. Kim said Kiyosaki's personal share of that debt is actually a fraction of the total, with Vanity Fair estimating it could be between $30 million (roughly R480 million) and $60 million (roughly R960 million), based on his reported annual income of around $3 million (R40 million).

The mechanics of the strategy involve borrowing additional money against properties as their value rises, treating the loan proceeds as tax-free income since no asset has been sold. Each investment is also held inside a separate limited liability company, which protects the broader portfolio if a single property runs into trouble.

Kim said her ex-husband uses the billion-dollar figure deliberately. She told Vanity Fair, adding that he uses it to grab attention before explaining why investment debt can be a useful tool.

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Source: Briefly News