If you want to get rich, you might want to start thinking and acting like the rich. Anyone can grow to be successful and wealthy, and one of the best starting points is to read a biography about someone who’s already done it. Without further ado, here are self-made success stories.
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow’s detailed 800-page account takes you through the impressive life of the American oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller, who came from rustic origins and started as an accountant, ended up as one of the richest men the world by creating America’s most powerful monopoly in 1870, Standard Oil. One of billionaire Charlie Munger’s top book picks, “Titan” reveals the detail-oriented, ruthlessly competitive, and famously generous nature of Rockefeller, and how he built a massive company from an emerging industry.
Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley
Before Oprah Winfrey became the queen of daytime TV and a billionaire, she grew up in poverty and suffered a tumultuous childhood. Today, Forbes estimates Winfrey’s net worth at $3 billion, and she is the only black woman on the publication’s list of the 400 richest people in America. Kitty Kelley tells the inspirational story of the media mogul and philanthropist, who went from potato-sack overalls to donning Prada and Jimmy Choo, in her biography Oprah.
Flight of the Rondone by Patrick Girondi
Flight of the Rondone is a true rags to riches tale the New York Times stated is “meant for television.” The protagonist, a high school dropout, is nicknamed in Italian U Carneveil (Walking Circus) for his entertaining and eccentric nature. Patrick Girondi starts his career shining shoes, stealing car parts, and escaping life-threatening situations while outwitting the Chicago police. He claws up to being a famous success story on the Oprah Show. His fortunes quickly change when his eldest son, Santino, is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease. Girondi hunts for a cure in a drama that has boundless implications in the world of gene therapy. This is a story of love, beating the odds, or as Girondi calls it, pure luck. It is a gritty and realistic tale told with little regard for empire or etiquette.
Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli
This New York Times bestseller is one of the most accurate books about Steve Jobs that’s ever been written, according to Apple executives including CEO Tim Cook. “Becoming Steve Jobs” is full of interesting nuggets about the late co-founder and CEO of Apple, and shows a side of Jobs that has rarely been seen by the media. You’ll learn about one of his first jobs in an apple orchard after dropping out of college, in addition to many more anecdotes leading up to his great success and fortune.
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
Alice Schroeder’s biography of the third richest man in the world and greatest investor of all time recounts fun anecdotes from Buffett’s childhood — such as how he was picking out stocks at 11 years old, and had amassed the equivalent of $53,000 by the time he was 16 — and details his humble journey to the top. “The Snowball” grants access into Buffett’s notably private, and refreshingly modest, life, and shows how the nice guy can indeed finish first.
