Author Robert Kiyosaki

Formative Years
Although Kiyosaki's father (left, holding young Robert in the photo above) held a Ph.D. and served at one time as the superintendent of education in Hawaii, he was often broke. The future author learned more about handling money by watching people like his best friend's father, who, though a high school dropout, went on to become the wealthiest man in the state. By age nine, Robert was stocking food in a local grocery store, but he found he made more money out on his own. He began renting books to other kids out of a makeshift library he created in a friend's basement.