A college degree has long been considered the golden ticket to financial success. Yet some of the wealthiest self-made millionaires and billionaires point not to their diplomas but to specific books as the actual turning points in their financial journeys.
Warren Buffett does not hang his college diploma on his office wall. Instead, he displays a certificate from a Dale Carnegie course. Self-made millionaires and billionaires have directly credited the following ten books as catalysts for their wealth.
1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
Warren Buffett has called this book the “best investment” he ever made after reading it at age 19. He has explicitly pointed to Chapters 8 and 20 as the foundation of his entire investment philosophy, particularly the concept of “margin of safety” that guides his approach to buying stocks below their intrinsic value.
Graham’s method of treating stocks as parts of real businesses rather than ticker symbols gave Buffett a framework that set him apart from speculators. For anyone serious about investing, this is the starting point that one of the wealthiest men in history personally endorses.
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Both Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban have praised this classic. Buffett credits the book with giving him the social skills needed to pitch investment ideas and build business relationships. Cuban has cited it as a foundational text for his early sales success.
The book teaches principles beyond surface-level charm. It focuses on genuine interest in other people, active listening, and seeing things from another person’s perspective. These skills translate directly into closing deals and building partnerships.
3. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Entrepreneur Dan Martell credits this book with changing how he thought about business. Rather than trading time for money, Martell shifted his focus to building systems and outsourcing tasks, enabling him to scale his SaaS ventures.
The core lesson is about leverage. Ferriss challenges readers to question the assumption that more hours equal more income. This book provides a blueprint for building businesses that generate income without requiring constant presence.
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Despite its critics, this book has been cited as a “lightbulb moment” by numerous self-made millionaires. Daymond John of Shark Tank fame has noted that it helped him understand the difference between assets and liabilities during his early days building FUBU.
Kiyosaki’s central lesson is simple but powerful. The wealthy buy assets that put money in their pockets, while the middle class buys liabilities they mistake for assets. That distinction has redirected the financial trajectories of countless readers.
5. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Daymond John has stated that he reads this book every year. He credits its goal-setting principles with helping him visualize his path from poverty to building a global fashion empire. The book’s emphasis on persistence and a burning desire for a definite goal resonates with entrepreneurs who started with nothing.
First published in 1937, the book drew from Hill’s study of over 500 successful individuals. Its principles around autosuggestion, mastermind groups, and organized planning continue to influence how high achievers approach wealth creation.
6. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
Strategy consultant Rory Vaden credits this book with changing his perception of wealth. It moved him away from associating riches with flashy spending and toward understanding the frugal habits that actually build a seven-figure net worth.
Stanley’s research revealed that most millionaires don’t drive luxury cars or live in mansions. They live below their means, invest consistently, and avoid lifestyle inflation. This book became a cornerstone of the FIRE movement and challenges assumptions about what wealthy people actually look like.
7. The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton
Self-made millionaire David Delisle shared in a GOBankingRates interview that this was one of the first books he read about money at just 10 years old. It inspired him to start investing at age 11, and by 40, he was semi-retired.
The book uses a fictional narrative to teach personal finance fundamentals, making complex concepts accessible even to young readers. Its emphasis on paying yourself first and starting early demonstrates how time and compound interest can turn modest savings into substantial wealth.
8. Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey’s research involving over 10,000 millionaires found that a significant number reached their first million by following the “Baby Steps” outlined in this book. The approach centers on eliminating debt through the “debt snowball” method and building wealth through consistent saving and investing.
What makes this book stand out is its simplicity. There are no complex strategies or financial tricks. The path is straightforward: get out of debt, build an emergency fund, and invest consistently. For people overwhelmed by personal finance, this approach has proven remarkably effective.
9. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
Investor Codie Sanchez cites Naval Ravikant’s philosophy on “Specific Knowledge” and “Leverage” as the blueprint she used to build her portfolio of “boring businesses.” The book compiles Naval’s insights on wealth creation and happiness from years of interviews and social media posts.
Naval’s framework argues that true wealth comes from owning equity in businesses, developing knowledge that can’t be easily replicated, and leveraging code, media, or capital. This modern approach resonates strongly with a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors.
10. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
The late Jim Rohn, a self-made millionaire and mentor to Tony Robbins, credited this book’s “10% rule” as the fundamental law that allowed him to go from broke at 25 to a millionaire by 31. The principle is deceptively simple: save at least 10% of everything you earn before paying anyone else.
Written as parables set in ancient Babylon, the book teaches timeless financial principles through storytelling. Its lessons on living below your means, making your money work for you, and guarding your wealth against loss are as relevant today as when first published in 1926.
Conclusion
These ten books share a common thread. They don’t teach people how to get rich quickly. They teach people how to think differently about money, time, and value creation. A college degree can give you technical skills, but it rarely teaches the mindset shifts that separate those who earn a living from those who build lasting wealth.
The combined cost of all ten books is less than a single college textbook. If you are serious about building wealth, your reading list matters far more than your diploma.