Robert Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki is the author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." An international bestseller, it explains what the rich teach their children about money that the poor and middle class do not. "The main reason people struggle financially is because they spent years in school but learned nothing about money. The result is, people learn to work for money...but never learn to have money work for them," says Kiyosaki. He has since authored over 26 books, including "Cashflow Quadrant" and "Rich Dad's Guide to Investing." Alongside his writing, Kiyosaki founded companies like the Rich Dad Company, Cashflow Technologies, and Rich Global LLC, which provide resources and seminars on personal finance and investing. His most recent book is "Ravens: How To Prepare For And Profit From The Turbulent Times Ahead."

Born and raised in Hawaii, Kiyosaki is a fourth-generation Japanese American. He comes from a prominent family of educators. His father was the head of education for the State of Hawaii. After high school, Kiyosaki was educated in New York, and upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and went to Vietnam as an officer and a helicopter gunship pilot.

Returning from the war, Kiyosaki's business career began. In 1977, he founded a company that brought to the market the first nylon and Velcro "surfer" wallets, which grew into a multi-million dollar worldwide product. He and his products were featured in Runner's World, Gentleman's Quarterly, Success magazine, Newsweek, and Playboy.

Leaving the business world, in 1985, he co-founded an international education company that operated in seven countries, teaching business and investing in tens of thousands of graduates. His yearlong television show was beamed across America on the Nostalgia Network, carrying his educational message.

Concerned about the growing gap between the "haves" and "have-nots", Kiyosaki created the game board CASHFLOW, which teaches the game of money, here before only known by the rich. Kiyosaki also publishes a monthly newsletter.

Although Kiyosaki's business is real estate and developing small cap companies, his true love and passion is teaching. He has shared the speaking stage with such greats as Og Mandino, Zig Ziglar, and Anthony Robbins. Kiyosaki's message is clear, "Take responsibility for your finances or take orders all your life. You're either a master of money or a slave to it."