10 books that helped Elon Musk, Mikhail Prokhorov, Bill Gates and others become rich and successful

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

On the shelves of bookstores, you can find many publications that promise their readers an almost instant change in their attitude to money and, as a result, a quick enrichment. But those who actually managed to get rich have a special view of books. In our today's review, you can get acquainted with those books that, according to the richest people on the planet, helped them achieve success.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Well-known Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov put the work of Jim Collins on the first place in his list of favorite books. The founder of the Onexim investment fund calls the main advantage of this work to receive an answer to the question of why some enterprises achieve success, while others at some point stop developing and, as a result, drag out a rather miserable existence.

“From the third world to the first. History of Singapore ", Lee Kuan Yew

Surprisingly, on the bookshelf of the CEO of Kaspersky Lab Eugene Kaspersky the main place is occupied not by business directories, but by the book of the former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew. It contains not only the memoirs of a politician, but very important reflections on the path that leads to success. During the time that Lee Kuan Yew held an important post, he was able to turn the country into one of the most successful industrial centers in Southeast Asia.

The Source, Ayn Rand

Travis Kalanick, the creator of Uber, a taxi-ordering service, was helped by a novel in which at first glance there are no revelations and financial secrets are not revealed. But its main character relies only on himself in everything and is never ready for compromises. Travis Kalanick is extremely impressed with this approach to business, especially since he always does the same. After the first edition of The Source, the author was criticized for the philosophy of the "virtue of selfishness," but readers accepted the novel immediately and were able to appreciate it.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Evan Spiegel, one of the founders of the popular social network Snapchat, not only thoroughly studied the treatise on military strategy himself, but also distributed it to all his subordinates at the very beginning of his career. In his opinion, this book should become a guide to action for those who want to achieve something in life at all.

"You're Surely Joking, Mr. Feynman!" By Richard Feynman

But for the founder of Google Sergey Brin one of the most beloved books was the autobiography of the famous American scientist Richard Feynman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. In the book, there is almost no reasoning about physics, but the story of the life of a scientist will make the reader laugh and allow you to understand how thorny the path of Richard Feynman was and how he managed not only to maintain a sense of humor, but also to achieve his goal.

Thoughts by Blaise Pascal

For the richest man in France and the president of the Louis Vuitton group of companies Moët Hennessy Bernard Arnault the reference book was the book of the French mathematician. There are no biographies or ready-made recipes for achieving success at all, but the 23 articles included in the publication present Blaise Pascal's reflections on a variety of topics, including religion, love, greatness and human weakness. It was they who helped the billionaire to correctly assess himself and his strength, and then to achieve what he wanted.

A Triumph of the American Imagination by Neil Gabler

Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, an online platform for finding and renting private housing around the world, admits that his life completely changed after he got acquainted with the biography of Walt Disney as presented by Neil Gabler. If it were not for this work, perhaps no one would have known about a person who managed to get an income of almost 4 million dollars in a short time.

The Rest of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

For the founder of the Amazon online store Jeff Bezos the book that completely changed his mind was the story of a butler who served with Lord Darlington. According to Bezos, acquaintance with the work of a Japanese author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature allowed him in just ten hours to live a whole life, learn wisdom and learn regret. Jeff Bezos recommends reading not only The Rest of the Day, but other books by Kazuo Ishiguro as well.

“Business Adventures. 12 Classic Wall Street Stories ", John Brooks

One of the largest investors in the world Warren Buffett and one of the creators of Microsoft Bill Gates is considered the best book on business by John Brooks, which has remained relevant for over 40 years. In "Business Adventures" you can find the secrets of the success of the largest companies, stories of ups and downs, as well as much about the pitfalls of the financial world and dizzying fraud.

"Benjamin Franklin. Biography ", Walter Isaacson

Elon Musk does not hide that in life he takes an example from the politician Benjamin Franklin. The billionaire generally loves to read biographies, but the story of Franklin, who began his career as a simple translator without a penny in his pocket, really impressed him. And the intuition of a person who managed to found his own business, and then engage in science and politics, arouses admiration and immense respect in Elon Musk.

Bill Gates is very fond of reading and is happy to share a list of his favorite books. Bill Gates' Recommended Reading List is not only about serious writing, how-to guides, and academic papers.