For years, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has urged investors to avoid holding too much cash and instead allocate their money toward assets like Bitcoin, gold, silver, and real estate. The 79-year-old personal finance author has also made several aggressive cryptocurrency price predictions, repeatedly stating that Bitcoin could eventually reach a seven-figure price due to expanding government debt and the erosion of purchasing power from currency devaluation. Now, Kiyosaki's own borrowing habits are drawing renewed attention following a report from the New York Post, which disclosed that his associated borrowings amount to roughly $1.2 billion.

Kiyosaki disclosed this debt figure during the Rich Education podcast on June 1. "I have $1.2 billion in debt," he said, while cautioning listeners not to directly copy his strategy. "You shouldn't do what I do, alright?" Kiyosaki stated he has been studying debt since 1974 and believes investors must master financial literacy before using leverage. However, this headline-grabbing figure does not represent $1.2 billion in unsecured personal debt.

His ex-wife and long-time business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, explained in a Vanity Fair interview on August 26 that the debt stems from real estate investments held jointly with partners, including approximately 1,500 apartment units. "We hold a large number of apartment buildings with our partners, so on paper, we do carry this much debt," she added, noting that all of it is backed by tangible real estate assets. Based on financial data provided by Kiyosaki, Vanity Fair estimates his personal share of the debt to be between $30 million and $60 million.

This operational logic sits at the core of Kiyosaki's investment philosophy: using borrowed money to acquire assets that generate income or appreciate in value, rather than relying on cash savings. He extends the same approach to cryptocurrencies, consistently grouping Bitcoin with gold and silver as assets that can preserve wealth during inflation and currency turmoil. For example, on March 17, Kiyosaki took to X to urge his followers to hoard Bitcoin, gold, silver, and Ethereum ahead of what he predicts will be another major financial crisis.

Using leverage also carries significant risk. When asset prices rise, debt amplifies gains; but if borrowing costs increase, property prices fall, or cash flow deteriorates, losses can be multiplied just as dramatically.