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ON YOUR OWN: A RECENT GRAD’S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL PLANNING

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Financial Planning Tips

Are you on the verge of graduating, or have you recently graduated? Well, congratulations! One of the best and most significant decisions you can make just after graduating is to create a financial plan right away. Even if you are not a personal finance pro, just by creating a simple financial plan, you’ll be giving yourself a huge head start in life. If you’re worried about the looming economic uncertainties, worry not, because there will always be economic uncertainties. It is just the way the world works.

With that being said, to help you get started on the right foot, we’re publishing this collection of simple financial planning strategies that you should adopt now that you’ve graduated and are on your own. So, if you’re ready to get your financial house in order, let’s dive into these financial planning tips.

Financial Planning Tips for New College Grads

Best Financial Planning Tips

1.   Live on a Budget

Creating a financial budget is the first strategy and the foundation for everything else that you choose for your financial management. If you want to avoid accruing massive sums of consume debt, begin growing your personal wealth fast, you must always be willing to be different from the average person. With that being said, the budgeting concept is straightforward but very difficult to execute.

To create a good budget, you should at least know how much you earn every month versus what you’re spending. In this case, if your expenses are higher than your earnings, figure out what things you can cut out a little or entirely. You can also consider getting yourself a part-time job to boost your income.

The key thing to remember, is to know how much you have coming in every month, what your spending that money on, and how much is left over. Do this for yourself, and you’ll be able to implement our other recommended financial strategies.

2.   Have a Savings Plan

After you evaluate your spending pattern, you should prioritize having a savings plan. Unfortunately, most graduates often place savings at the bottom of their priority list. However, making savings a top priority and having a disciplined savings pattern early, can help you better manage any doomsday scenarios that your career or the economy will throw at you in the future. In addition to this, having a savings plan will put your years ahead of your peers in terms of net worth if your start early.

It doesn’t matter how small your paycheck is, start saving as much as you can right away. Financial experts recommend an initial savings goal of 3-6 months of living on just basic expenses. This may be unachievable for a new graduate who is just starting their careers, but it sets an ideal long-term goal on which to work.

Related: 15 Tips For Retiring Early

3.   Learn Some Investment Basics

You should understand that saving and investing money are not the same thing. After you’re done setting up your saving account to a comfortable level, the next step is to think about other ways of investing your excess money. There are great investment options like stocks, bonds, real estate, or other financial instruments.

Of course with investing it is always a good idea to be cautious. Be ready to lose some money or all of it if you need higher returns. The golden rule here is the riskier the investment, the higher the potential return rate. If you’re making long-term financial goals like retirement, it would be wise to take more enormous investment risks early on, but the reduce your risk as your retirement date draws closer.

Of course, before you dive in to the investing world, it may be wise to read an investment book or two first.

4.   Have a Retirement Plan

Yeah, we know you just graduated, and retirement seems so far away! However, the earlier you have a retirement savings plan, the better off you’ll be in the future. Likewise, it will be easier to maintain a steady lifetime savings plan. Also, the sooner you start saving for retirement, the better the return package in terms of compounding and tax benefits. Some of the best retirement plans include:

a.    IRAs

This is the most common retirement plan as they have a wide range of investment plans. One can easily set up a financial institution to hold a certain amount of your total income for investments in stocks, cash, and bonds for retirement.

b.    401Ks

These are also commonly known as employer-sponsored retirement plans. The 401K plans include:

  • Defined Benefit Plans: These are commonly known as pension plans, where the company guarantees its employees a good retirement package. It is a rare type of plan these days in which the company puts money into one investment pool, and the pension plan invests in it.
  • Defined Contribution Plans: These are currently the most common types of workplace retirement plans set up the employers. In this setup, an automatic payroll deduction is enforced to enable employees to contribute to the company plan. The company contributes to your account based on your contribution level, for example, dollar for dollar. Withdrawal of this money is tax-free after retirement.

Speaking with a financial planner, accountant, or even a bankruptcy lawyer will help you figure out the best option when you get confused about retirement savings versus paying off debts.

Related: 7 Smart Financial Moves

5. Pay Off Your Debts

Paying off your debts after college should be a top priority after graduating. Debts can be the leading financial hindrance to your long-term financial plans. Prioritize with the debts that have a higher interest rate and set a time in which you shall have cleared these debts.  Also, pay off your credit card debt as quickly as you can.

If you have several debts spread out amongst different lenders, you may consider consolidating your loans. This may not be a great idea if you can afford to pay off these loans quickly. The end goal is to pay off your debts with the least expensive option.

Consolidation requirements may be strict, but they certainly help you to pay off your debts at a lower interest rate with only one lender and one payment to make. Whichever choice you make, put up a quick plan to clear your debt right away!

6. Setup a Healthcare Coverage Fund

Your parents may have covered your health care insurance plan while in college. Now that you are a graduate, you will have to secure your health coverage. If you’re lucky enough to work in a corporation, you may benefit from the health and medical coverage that they offer.

Not having a medical cover may cause a massive dent in your finances in case of a severe illness or accident. Secure your health care coverage for yourself soonest possible to be on the safe side.

7. Follow Your Passion

How can this be considered as a financial tip? Unfortunately, most people pursue career opportunities solely for financial gain, only to realize later that they can’t stand their jobs and then start over from the ground again. If you pursue a career purely for financial gains only, it may cost you more financially and personally than pursuing your passion.

Regardless of the financial concerns that you may have, save yourself from this misery early on by pursuing your passion. The truth is that money has a way of working itself out when you find a way to do what you love.

Related: How to Live With Passion

8. Be a Giver

Out of all of the recommended financial planning tips, this one is the most difficult for people. And while it may not sound like sound financial advice on the surface, giving is important. So, use the same approach in savings by committing a certain giveaway percentage of your income. The money can go into a charitable cause or your place of worship. If you maintain the discipline of giving money early in your life, you won’t feel a pinch when contributing to other areas of your life.

In some instances, you’ll even be able to write-off some of your contributions, saving you money come tax time. Of course, the returns you get from being a giver may not show up in your bank account right away, but you’ll certainly benefit from doing so psychologically, because it feels good to do good.

Wrapping Up Our Financial Planning Tips

The most exciting times of your life are the years after your graduation. The real key to achieving financial security is to start early by setting up a solid financial foundation.

Unfortunately, many schools do not give these financial lessons, so the best way is to learn independently. Sure, you may face some setbacks, but don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

The great news is, if you follow these handful of financial planning tips, you’ll be way ahead financially than most. So, keep your focus on your financial goals, and it will only be a matter of time before you become a financial success.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this article about getting smart with your money and planning, then you may also enjoy this article on how to get rich with a normal job.

Veronica Baxter is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area. She writes for the Law Offices of David Offen, who is a successful Bankruptcy Lawyer in Philadelphia. You can learn more at getfreeofbills.com

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RAY DALIO’S NET WORTH AND HOW HE BUILT HIS WEALTH

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ray dalio net worth

Ray Dalio is an investor, hedge fund manager, multibillionaire, and bestselling author. He’s the founder of Bridgewater Associates, a highly successful investment firm with over $125 billion in managed assets, and currently the largest hedge fund in the world. In short, he’s highly successful and has built up a sizeable fortune for himself over the years. How sizeable? Well, that’s exactly what we aim to touch upon in this Ray Dalio net worth write-up.

So, if you want to know what Ray Dalio is worth, how much he makes, and how he built his fortune, then let’s get right to it.

What Is Ray Dalio’s Net Worth?

As of 2024 Ray Dalio’s net worth is approximately $28 billion. Forbes placed his net worth back in 2015 at roughly 15.4 billion; however, with some simple math, and using his annual investment track record, it’s easy to see that his net worth is much larger these days.[1]

The bulk of Dalio’s wealth was earned between 2010 and 2020, however, his path to massive wealth creation began way back in 1974 when he started his firm.

How Much Does Ray Dalio Make Per Year?

According to our research, Ray Dalio has been averaging around $500 million to $1 billion per year for the past couple of years.[2],[3]

That said, now that he’s retired from Bridgewater Associates, his income will likely be changing. So, what will Ray Dalio’s income be this year?

Well, if Dalio takes a conservative approach to managing his money, he could leverage it to earn a significant annual salary. If he shoots for a safe 4% yield on his assets (3% to 5% is the historical yield for safe investments), his income will hover around $1.12 billion in perpetuity.

That’s not bad for retirement income.

RAY DALIO MONEY METRICS

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$ 28,000,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$1,120,000,000
Per Month:$93,333,333
Per Week:$21,538,627
Per Day:$3,076,946
Per Hour:$128,206
Per Min:$2,136
Per Sec:$35.6

Note: this is a estimated earnings metric based off the earning power of Ray Dalio’s net worth.  It does not include how much Ray Dalio makes from other projects, sponsorships, his book royalties etc… This calculation is for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Ray Dalio Net Worth History

Ray Dalio’s net worth has grown consistently over the past couple of years. In 2017, his net worth was around $16.8 billion.

His net worth had a decent jump in 2021, and has continued to grow since. His rate of growth has been approximately 75% over the past 7 years.

ray dalio net worth history

Interesting Ray Dalio Facts:

  • Ray Dalio has 1.2 million Instagram followers, 1.2 million Twitter followers, 451K Facebook followers, 2.5 million Linkedin followers, and 2.27 million YouTube subscribers. As such, his grand total of social media followers 7.62 million.
  • Dalio has published 6 different books and has sold over a million of his books across the world.
  • Ray Dalio was born in New York City, on August 8, 1949.
  • He began investing at the age of 12.
  • Ray Dalio believes mediation is key for creating a successful life.

Related: Best Investment Books

How Did Ray Dalio Get Rich?

Ray Dalio graduated from Harvard with an MBA. He worked on Wall Street for a short time before starting his own investment firm out of his two-bedroom apartment.

Dalio is an advocate for diversification, and pioneered the innovated investment strategy known as “risk parity”. His approach helped him gain the confidence of many new clients. And his ability to consistently grow his client’s investments, while minimizing downside risks, helped him accelerate his firm’s growth.

For many years, Dalio’s returns topped the SP500. As such, his investment track record began to speak for itself, and clients from all over the country and then the world, began pouring into his managed assets, and still do to this day.

Having said that, Ray Dalio’s innovative investment strategies, his disciplined and cautious approach to investing, along with his ability to adapt to changing market (local and global) conditions has helped him become one of the richest investors in the world.

Related: Ray Dalio Quotes For Success

Key Takeaways

Here are some key Ray Dalio takeaways:

  • Ray Dalio Net Worth:  $28 billion
  • Annual Earnings **:  $1.12 billion
  • Social Media Followers:  7.62 million
  • Keys to Success:  Investing, Diversification, Meditation

Ray Dalio has built a massive net worth for himself over the years. And much of it is due to his ability to help others preserve and grow their money.

ray dalio net worth quote

Service to others is key. And Ray Dalio’s ability to provide a unique and much needed service to others is directly related to the size of his massive fortune.

Till you reach your financial aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Ray Dalio net worth profile, then you may equally enjoy learning about the net worth of other notable investors and financial experts like:

Warren Buffett Net Worth | Dave Ramsey Net Worth | Robert Kiyosaki Net Worth

** These earnings are calculated off the earning power of Ray Dalio’s estimated net worth assuming a 4.0% dividend yield.

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WHAT IS THE 4% RULE AND HOW CAN IT HELP YOU PLAN FOR EARLY RETIREMENT

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four percent rule

Most people don’t want to be stuck in some office, cubicle, or a j.o.b. doing the same thing for the rest of their lives. If you can relate to that feeling, then you might want to know about the four percent rule. Why? Because it is the rule you’ll most likely need to adhere to if you want to retire early and stay retired.

First things first, if you want to retire early (or at all), you should have a plan in place to save and invest as much of your discretionary money as soon possible. The more you stash away, the longer your money will last in retirement, and the more money you’ll have to spend to live your life to the fullest.

WHAT’S THE 4% RULE?

Okay, So what is the 4% rule? Well, in it’s simplest terms, it’s a retirement planning strategy that is suggested by many financial advisors. It’s a tactic suggested to those who want their money to last throughout the duration of their retirement years.

It’s also a planning rule of thumb that gives you the best shot at retiring without diminishing your retirement funds. In short, it’s a conservative withdrawal rate to aim for when you retire.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say you’ve stashed away your hard earned money over that past 20+ years and you’ve accumulated upwards of nearly $1,000,0000. And now that you’ve hit this goal, you decide that now is the time to retire. So you do.

You pull the trigger and choose to do so following the 4 percent rule. You choose to spread your $1,000,000 in capital across a handful of solid investment vehicles (i.e. Dividend Paying Stocks, ETFs, REITs, etc…), and you strive to use only 4% of that investment each year to pay for your living expenses. The rest of the money (your principal) you don’t touch till next year.

Here is a more or less “official definition” of the four percent rule:

four percent rule definition

THE $1,000,000 MILLION RETIREMENT PLAN

Therefore, depending on what you invest your money in, your principal can gradually grow while still paying out around 4% per year in dividends, or it can stay the same while pulling 4% annual payouts, or it can dwindle if you spend 4% of the principle every year.

Certainly there are risks to this rule, but it all depends what you invest your money in to make it work for you. As such, you’ll want to do your own due diligence on investments or seek out a qualified financial professional to help you best leverage your investments.

That said, here’s what the 4% rule would look like for your $1,000,000 early retirement plan.

4% Rule Money MetricAmount
Invested Nest Egg$1,000,000
Earnings Per Year:$40,0000
Per Month:$3,333
Per Week:$769
Per Day:$109.89
Per Hour:$4.57
Per Min:$.07
Per Sec:$.001

Note: The breakdown above calculation shows a payout for all days (meaning it includes weekends) and all hours (24 hours, meaning money while you sleep). So payout would look different if calculated using working days and working hours. Here’s how it would look if calculated for working days and working hours: $153.86 per day, and $19.23 per hour.

Related: Get Rich With a Normie 9-5

WHAT’S YOUR FIRE NUMBER?

For some people, $40K per year is plenty to retire off of, especially if you plan to move to an affordable state in the U.S. and live a lowkey lifestyle. $40K could also work if you plan to move overseas to a place that is extremely affordable like Bulgaria, Croatia, Portugal, Nicaragua, or even Mexico.

But, if living off of approximately $40K per year sounds unappealing to you, well, then you’ll want to change your retirement goal or FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) number.

definition of fire number

Dave Ramsey said it best with his quote, “When your money makes more than you do, you are officially wealthy.” So, keep his quote in mind with regards to your FIRE number and you’ll be well on your way.

With this in mind, below is a chart of what your earnings would look like if you decided to up the ante to a different FIRE number with the intention of using the 4% rule:

FIRE Milestones

FIRE No. Using 4% RuleAnnual PayoutMonthly Payout
$1,000,0000$40,000$3,333
$2,000,0000$80,000$6,667
$3,000,0000$120,000$10,000
$4,000,0000$160,000$13,333
$5,000,0000$200,000$16,667
$6,000,0000$240,000$20,000
$7,000,0000$280,000$23,333
$10,000,000$400,0000$33,333

You can always play with the numbers to see how long it will take you to achieve your goal. One great resource to chart out your path to a FIRE number that inspires you is a compound interest calculator. If you don’t have one, this is by far our favorite investment calculator.

Now that you’ve considered the FIRE numbers above, or ran your own “hypotheticals” through the recommended investment calculator, you should now have a better idea as to what to aim for, so you can make the day you turn in your two-week notice and ride off into the sunset and retire early a reality.

Nevertheless, if you’ve made up your mind and you have goal or number that you’re ready to strive for, pull out your pen and paper and make it a goal. The four percent rule will only work after you have. You have to put in the time and energy before you can get it back.

Related: The Virtual Millionaire

Final Thoughts

You now know what the 4 percent rule is and how you can use it to plan out your early retirement accordingly. The most important thing to remember, is that money equals freedom.

That said, before you start stacking your money though, it’s important to know that there are various pros and cons to this approach.

So, if you want to dig even deeper, and look at a few other important considerations before you dive into the four percent rule, consider reading this insightful Charles Schwab article on the rule and how much you can spend in retirement.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

Disclaimer: We are not financial advisors. The content on this website is for educational purposes only and merely cite our own personal opinions. Read full disclaimer here.

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ED MYLETT NET WORTH AND HOW HE GOT SO WEALTHY

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Ed Mylett Net Worth

Ed Mylett is a successful businessman, peak performance coach, podcast host, as well as one of the fastest growing social media personalities on the web. He’s also the best-selling author of ‘The Power of One More‘, and he’s a multi-millionaire. Which is exactly what we intend to highlight on this Ed Mylett net worth profile page.

So, if you’re ready to dive into Ed Mylett’s net worth, let’s get to it.

What Is Ed Mylett’s Net Worth?

Ed Mylett Net Worth

Ed Mylett’s net worth as of the time of this writing in 2024 is approximately $540 million. In 2019 various publications listed Ed’s net worth at an estimated at $410 million, however, with the Laguna real estate market (which is where he resides) growing at 8.8% year over year, and the stock market’s historical growth rate of 9.9%, we’ve come to a different conclusion. As such, per our analysis we’ve estimated his net worth to be roughly $540 million as conservative estimate.

Ed found major success with the World Financial Company, where his success in sales would eventually lead him to running his company’s marketing department as the CEO of Marketing and eventually making an 8 figure income.

That said, Mylett’s net worth has yet to cease growing. He still collects royalties on his books, and is consistently pursuing other money making avenues as a high performance business coach, speaker, and online media mogul.

As such, we believe his net worth will only continue to compound with time. Heck, he may even reach billionaire status in the next decade or so.

How Much Does Ed Mylett Make

Have you ever wondered exactly how much money Ed Mylett makes per year these days? Us too. Unfortunately, there are virtually no publicly verifiable accounts of his current annual earnings.

That said, we can still provide you with how much he could make just by leveraging his net worth alone. Here’s what we’d come up with.

Presupposing Ed sold all of his fancy cars, expensive houses, and all his other assets, and moved them into a few safe dividend paying assets like REITS or Stocks at a 4.5% annual yield. Ed Mylett’s annual income would be a whopping $24,300,000. Here’s a further breakdown of his financial figures:

Ed Mylett Money Metrics

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$540,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$24,300,000
Per Month:$2,025,000
Per Week:$467,307
Per Day:$66,758
Per Hour:$2,781
Per Min:$46.35
Per Sec:$.77

Note: this is a hypothetical (but very possible) earnings Metric for Ed Mylett based off of his net worth’s earning power alone.  It does not include how much he potentially earns from projects, sponsorships, royalties, or social media revenue, etc. Again, this calculation is for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Ed Mylett’s Social Influence

Ed Mylett has 2.5 million Instagram followers, 724K YouTube subscribers, 334K Facebook Followers, and 291K million Twitter followers. This comes out to a grand total of 3.85 million social media followers.

Speaking of social influence, one of Ed Mylett’s stated beliefs is that you become who you spend the most time with, and Ed’s been known to keep some pretty big names in his social circles. Ed’s social circle includes names like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and even Tom Brady.

Interestingly enough, all of their net worth’s are pretty much in the same ball park. Perhaps there truly is something to be said about the law of association.

How Did Ed Mylett Get So Wealthy?

Ed Mylett was once an aspiring professional baseball player.  Unfortunately, he incurred an injury while playing baseball in college that sidelined him from the sport.

After experiencing a form of aimlessness for a short period of time after having his dreams shattered, he was given an opportunity to become a mentor to some at risk youths at an orphanage.

His experience with these kids helped him form the leadership skills that he’d eventually leverage to succeed in business.

Ed joined the World Financial Group (WFG) in the early 90s, and utilized the competitiveness and extreme focus he gained as a collegiate athlete, along with the soft skills he acquired while mentoring at the orphanage.

This combination of skills and having a heart to serve, helped Ed’s career take off.  He achieved rapid success, by leading multiple teams effectively. 

His business and leadership prowess were so effective in fact, that he advance in the company in just a few short years, ultimately becoming the organization’s CEO Marketing Director, then it’s senior Executive Vice Chairman, and then ultimately the Director of Field Leadership.

Mylett’s rapid rise led to rapid financial gains.  Ed eventually left the industry, but leapt into performance coaching and public speaking, which he still does till this day.

A large portion of Ed Mylett’s wealth also stems from savvy investments in real estate and other investment related ventures.

That said, his achievements are still in full swing, and he’s still actively adding to his massive financial pie as the owner of his own enterprises.

Read More: Ed Mylett Success Story

Related Wealth Building Resources

Key Takeaways

Here are some key Ed Mylett takeaways:

  • Net Worth of Ed Mylett:  $540 million
  • Annual Earnings **:  $24.3 million
  • Social Media Followers:  3.85 million

Ed Mylett’s sizeable net worth is directly related to his “one-more” mindset, or said another way, his willingness to push and fight for that extra inch or extra mile in all he does. In addition to this, his charisma, and his ability to inspire, encourage, and motivate millions of people all over the world has also helped him build a sizeable fortune as well.

Ed Mylett Net Worth Quote

Related: Ed Mylett Quotes

That said, now it’s your turn. Hopefully you’ll leverage Ed Mylett’s inspiring financial achievements to move you to rethink and recalibrate what’s possible for you.

You can follow his blueprint, create your own, or get rich with a normal job. It doesn’t matter how you do it, all that matters is that you get started on trying to make it happen. Because you can’t build a house, a life, a future, or a larger fortune without taking action.

So, till your reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Ed Mylett Net Worth profile, then you may also enjoy learning about the net worth profiles of other entrepreneurs, motivators, and success icons like:

Tom Bilyeu Net Worth | Robert Kiyosaki Net Worth | Gary Vee Net Worth

** These earnings are hypothetical and calculated off of Ed Mylett’s net worth’s earning power alone assuming a 4.5% dividend yield.

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SARA BLAKELY NET WORTH AND HOW SHE GOT SO RICH

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sarah blakely net worth

Sara Blakely is a highly successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the popular intimate apparel company, Spanx. Starting out within only $5,000, she created a brand that is known and appreciated by millions all over the world, and became rich and famous in the process. How rich? Well, that’s exactly what we aim to highlight in this Sara Blakely net worth profile.

So, if you’re curious about the size of Sara Blakely’s net worth, how much she earns from it, and a few details about how she found so much financial success, then let’s get right into it:

What Is Sara Blakely’s Net Worth?

As of 2024, Sara Blakely’s net worth is approximately $1.3 billion. Her net worth is up over the past few years, especially after she sold a large portion of her ownership in Spanx to Blackrock.

In 2021, Forbes placed her net worth at $1.1 billion, and in 2022 and 2023 her her net worth slightly to dipped, and then rose back to $1.2 billion. And with the economy and the markets rebounding recently her net worth is now even higher, hovering at the $1.3 billion mark.

How Much Does Sara Blakely Make Per Year?

Imagine making $52 million per year to do absolutely nothing. Well, Sara Blakely could do just that if she wanted to. If Blakely cashed out her net worth, and invested all of her money into a handful of diversified investments that paid out a minimum of a 4% annually, that’s exactly how much money she could make per year.

Of course, she’s still involved with her company, as Chair of Spanx, so she hasn’t retired just yet. But, her net worth is large enough to continue making her a fortune in perpetuity.

Having said that, Sarah’s company Spanx has shown to bring in approximately $400 million per year in revenue.[1] However, she has not made the salary she draws from the company public. So, we’ll stick to her fortune’s earning power.

SARA BLAKELY MONEY METRICS

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$1,300,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$52,000,000
Per Month:$4,333,333
Per Week:$1,000,000
Per Day:$142,857
Per Hour:$5,952
Per Min:$99.2
Per Sec:$1.65

Note: this is an academic earnings metric based off the earning power Sara Blakely’s net worth.  It does not include how much she makes from projects, sponsorships, social media, etc. These calculations are estimates and are for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Sarah Blakely Fun Facts:

  • Sarah Blakely was born in 1971.
  • She hails from Clearwater, FL, but currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
  • Blakely didn’t get married until she was 37 years old.
  • She’s currently married to Jesse Itzler and has 4 children.

How Did Sara Blakely Get Rich?

Having experienced a number of frustrating moments with trying to create a smooth look while wearing white pants, she opted to cut the ends off of pantyhose. When she did this, it dawned on her that she wasn’t the only one experiencing these fashion-related frustrations.

As such, Sara Blakely had an idea to bring a product to the market that she felt was needed. And Spanx was the solution.[2]

Sara went all-in on her idea to bring the perfect undergarment to the market. She took a big risk getting things started, and had her struggles in the beginning as well, but she persisted.

She pushed through the growing pains of entrepreneurship for two long years. But once she locked in a fabric factory that would produce her undergarments, her luck changed.

Her product practically flew off the shelves once she starting selling them in various big name retail outlets. Over the years she would add a few new items to her product line that her customers fell in love with as well.

And before Sara Blakely knew it, she became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, and one of TIME’s 100 most influential people.

Blakely’s Next Chapter

That said, In late 2024 Sara initiated a whole new chapter with the launch of her new spinoff brand, Sneex. Blakely is now looking to create a whole new apparel empire, but this time around, it’ll be with shoes.[3]

This new brain child of hers attempts to combine the style of traditional high heels with the performance and comfort of a sneaker.

Without a doubt, Sara Blakely will find success again, especially if she follows the same success strategies she employed while launching and operating Spanx.

Related: Sara Blakely Success Story

Key Takeaways

Here are some key Sara Blakely takeaways:

  • Sara Blakely Net Worth:  $1.3 billion
  • Annual Earnings **:  $52 million
  • Keys to Success:  Taking Risks, Following Her Intuition, Fulfilling a Need In the Market

Sarah Blakely’s massive net worth is a direct correlation to the amount of people she’s served. Millions of people needed high quality undergarments, and Spanx was and still is, consistently innovative in meeting it’s customer’s needs.

Till you reach your financial aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Sara Blakely net worth profile page, then you may equally enjoy learning about the net worth profiles of other successful entrepreneurs like Lori Greiner or Richard Branson.

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KEVIN O’LEARY’S NET WORTH + HIS IMPRESSIVE EARNING POWER

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kevin o'leary net worth 2025

Kevin O’Leary is a world-renowned businessman, entrepreneur, author, venture capitalist, and T.V. personality. Most know him as Mr. Wonderful from his charismatic presence on the hit reality T.V. show, ‘Shark Tank’. And, as a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist, O’Leary has founded, invested, and sold numerous businesses over the years, bringing him fame, financial success, and a massive net worth. So, that’s exactly what we’ll be highlighting on this Kevin O’Leary Net Worth page; a realistic assessment of his fortune and his earning power.

“You Don’t Build Wealth Part-Time.”

– kevin o’leary –

So, if you’ve ever wondered what Mr. Wonderful’s net worth is, and how much he makes or could make, then let’s dive right in to the numbers.

What Is Kevin O’Leary’s Net Worth?

Kevin O'Leary Net Worth 2023

Kevin O’Leary’s net worth in 2020, 2021, and 2022 was reported to be around $400 million per Celebrity Net worth.[1] However, considering the market’s (both real estate and stock market) shift over the past three years has been a net gain, and considering this “Shark” invests for a living, at the very least, the estimate for Kevin O’Leary’s net worth is unquestionably higher.[2]

That said, we all know Mr. Wonderful is all about building wealth full-time, so it’s highly unlikely that his net worth would remain stagnant for 3 years in a row. An investor whose wealth remains the same year after year isn’t a very good investor.

Therefore, after incorporating the years of growth and assessing the growth rate of his various assets, and after conducting a careful analysis, we place Kevin O’Leary’s net worth as of 2024 at approximately $483 million. As such, this makes him the 2nd richest Shark from Shark Tank, just below billionaire Mark Cuban’s net worth.

How Much Does Kevin O’Leary Make?

With a sizeable net worth like this, you probably want to know how much Kevin O’Leary makes a year. Well, he earns about $30,000 per Shark Tank episode, and there’s an average of 24 episodes per year. So, from Shark Tank alone, he pulls in approximately $720,000 per year.

Kevin O’Leary also started a wine venture known as O’Leary Fine Wines, which he’s apparently transitioning into an affordable luxury business known as Shop Mr. Wonderful. His income from this venture has yet to be disclosed. O’Leary also earns royalties from books he’s authored, fees from speaking engagements, management fees from his investment Fund (O’Leary Investments) and dividends from his own investments.

That said, we don’t have a definitive number for you when it comes to Kevin O’Leary’s salary.

The Earning Power of O’Leary’s Net Worth

However, here’s a baseline income estimate that Kevin O’Leary could easily make per year based off of the earning power of his Net Worth alone. To get this estimate, we must first assume he’ll take his entire $483 million net worth, cash it out, and then reinvest that money into a bucket of assets that can pay out on average 4% annually.

4% is a reasonable estimate annual yield, considering 3% to 5% is what the average returns on extremely safe investments have been historically.[3]

That said, after crunching the numbers, Kevin O’Leary could easily make $19.3 million per year starting today by leveraging his net worth. All he’d have to do is liquidate all his assets and place them into a few safe haven dividend paying stocks, ETFs, or REITs.

Assuming he did this, here’s what that type of pay out would look like monthly, weekly, and daily.

Kevin O’Leary’s Money Metrics

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$483,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$19,320,000
Per Month:$1,610,000
Per Week:$371,567
Per Day:$53,081
Per Hour:$2,211
Per Min:$36.86
Per Sec:$.64

Note: this is a hypothetical (but very possible) earnings Metric for Kevin O’Leary based off of his net worth’s earning power alone.  It does not include how much he potentially earns from projects, sponsorships, his participation on Shark Tank, or social media, etc.. This baseline calculation is for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Kevin O’Leary’s Social Media Influence

If you’ve ever wondered what Kevin O’Leary’s social media influence is, and how much his social clout could earn him? Here’s your answer.

Kevin O’Leary has over 441K million Facebook followers, 986K Twitter followers, 1 million Instagram followers, and 837K YouTube followers, which comes out to a grand total of 3.2 million social media followers.

That said, if Kevin O’Leary chose to leverage his social media influence, he could earn roughly $30K per sponsored post.

Kevin O’Leary Key Facts

  • O’Leary’s mother taught him everything he knows about investing.
  • Kevin O’Leary’s birth name is Terence Thomas Kevin O’Leary.
  • He’s the proud father of 2 children (Trevor & Savannah).
  • He’s an avid collector and investor of watches.
  • O’Leary once ran for office in Canada.
  • Kevin’s worst investment cost him over half a million dollars.
  • He’s invested in over 40 different deals found on Shark Tank alone.[4]

How Did Kevin O’Leary Get Rich?

Kevin O’Leary didn’t get rich over night. While in grad school studying for his MBA, Kevin started an internship with Nabisco that would eventually turn into a full-time job. From this job he learned the ropes of business and marketing as an assistant brand manager.

But his corporate career was short lived, as he left this job to start an independent production company with a few of his former classmates. The new business saw limited success, but O’Leary would eventually get bought out of his position in the company for $25,000.

O’Leary would go on to leverage this payout, as well as $10,000 of seed money that he was able to borrow from his mother to help get his newly co-founded software distribution and publishing company off the ground. The company was named Softkey.

Kevin O’Leary would go on to grow Softkey year over year, conducting a handful of acquisitions in the process. After 13 productive years of growing the company, O’Leary and co. finally sold to Mattel for $4.2 billion in 1999.[5] It was at this point that Kevin officially became not just rich, but free.

Kevin O'Leary Net Worth Quote on Money

As they say, the rest was history. A few short years after O’Leary became a multimillionaire, he landed a role on Canada’s version of ‘Shark Tank’, ‘The Dragon’s Den. Then just a few years later he made his onto the big show, ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’.

He’s been involved in a variety of projects within the private equity world, and creating his own mutual funds and ETFs ever since.

Kevin O’Leary On What It Takes

That said, here are few additional success and financial insights from Mr. Wonderful. These quotes paint a solid picture on the mindset and thinking that has helped him build the fortune he now enjoys. Here you go:

1. “I like to take risks, that’s how I make money. But they are calculated risks.” – Kevin O’Leary

2. “Money is my military, each dollar a soldier. I never send my money into battle unprepared and undefended. I send it to conquer and take currency prisoner and bring it back to me.” – Kevin O’Leary

3. “The key to success that I would’ve taught myself 20 years ago — shut up and listen.’ – Kevin O’Leary

4. “Working 24 hours a day isn’t enough anymore. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything to be successful, including your personal life, your family life, maybe more. If people think it’s any less, they’re wrong, and they will fail.” – Kevin O’Leary

5. “Cut spending. Save aggressively. Invest strategically.” – Kevin O’Leary

Related: Kevin O’Leary Success Quotes

Additional Financial Insights

If you want to dig deeper into the thinking process that has helped Kevin O’Leary dramatically grow his wealth, the video below is worth watching. It provides some generous advice on what it takes to get rich in 90 days from Mr. Wonderful himself:

Video Credit: Kevin O’Leary (Subscribe Here)

Related Resources For Building Wealth:

Key Takeaways

Here are a handful of key takeaways from our Kevin O’Leary net worth page:

  • Kevin O’Leary Net Worth:  $483 million
  • Annual Earnings **:  $19.3 million
  • Social Media Followers:  3.2 million
  • Social Media Earning Power: $30K per sponsored post
  • Keys to Riches:  Taking Risks, Business Ownership, Hard Work

The net worth of Kevin O’Leary is impressive and without a doubt it is continually growing. His business acumen and investment prowess seems to only be getting sharper with time. As such, we predict his fortune will grow to over $1 billion within the next 10 years or less.

That said, Kevin O’Leary’s sizeable fortune is something that should inspire us. Certainly, it’s large and it may even seem impossible to obtain for many. But, it doesn’t have to be. Nor does it mean that we shouldn’t aspire to learn and build our own fortunes.

Till you reach aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Kevin O’Leary net worth profile, then you’ll likely enjoy perusing through the some of the net worth profiles of his fellow Sharks:

** Disclaimer: These earning are hypothetical and calculated off of the earning power of Kevin O’Leary’s net worth alone, assuming a 4% dividend yield.

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Money

WILL SMITH’S NET WORTH AND HOW HE GOT SO RICH

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Will Smith Net Worth

Will Smith hardly needs an introduction, considering he is a world-renowned actor, producer, rapper, and songwriter, who has received dozens of awards and nominations for bringing us blockbuster hits like ‘I am Legend’, ‘Ali’, ‘Men in Black’, and ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, amongst many others.  Without a doubt, he is no stranger to success or the press.  Will Smith has truly made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry.   But, with such productivity and blockbuster success, comes wealth.  And that’s what this article is all about, Will Smith’s Net Worth, and some of the financial wins he’s had along the way that have helped him secure so much money.

What is Will Smith’s Net Worth?

will smith net worth 2023

So what is Will Smith’s net worth?  Well, according to various net worth sources on the net, his net worth is approximately $350 million. However, those figures are outdated as they’ve haven’t changed since 2020. Of course assets don’t remain stagnant, so we’ve recalculated Will smith’s net worth.

As such, per our research and analysis, along with our asset recalculation methodology, Will Smith’s Net Worth as of 2024 is now estimated at $390 million.[1]  It is estimated that $100 million of his net worth is tied up in the Real Estate he owns around the world.

So, he’s not a billionaire yet, but, with the right investments and a handful of additional projects on the silver screen he may just get there within the next decade or so.

How Much Does Will Smith Make?

According to Forbes [2], despite the pandemic in 2020-2021, Will Smith managed to earn $44.5 million. Of course, this is only an estimate, but he likely earned a similar amount in 2023.

That said, Will Smith’s 2024 earnings are still ongoing, especially considering he is constantly creating project after project.  But, 2024 is looking like a pretty big year for Smith, with the release of his updated Bad Boys movie, ‘Bad Boys – Ride or Die’, which grossed over $400 million at the box office across the globe.

However, even without these figures, we still plan on providing you with how much money, hypothetically speaking, Will Smith makes a year from his net worth alone.

These money metrics will be based off Will Smith’s known net worth of $390 million. So, if you’ve ever wondered how much Will Smith makes per day, month, or even a year, this metric we are providing below will give you a conservative (and very possible) estimate.

To get to this number, we will have to presume Will Smith’s investing acumen is on par with an average investor. In other words, capable enough to earn an annual 4% yield on his combined $390 million fortune (Note: 4% is an extremely reasonable return to expect, especially considering historical returns on safe investments have typically fallen between the 3% to 5% range [3]).

With that said here is what we came up with. I Will Smith hypothetically liquidated all of his assets and invested them into a handful of stocks or REITS that yielded at the very least a conservative 4% dividend yield, he could easily be earning himself a cool $15.6 million a year to do absolutely nothing.

Will Smith’s Money Metrics

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$390,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$15,600,000
Per Month:$1,300,000
Per Week:$ 300,000
Per Day:$42,857
Per Hour:$1,785
Per Min:$29.7
Per Sec:$.49

Note: this is a hypothetical (but very possible) earnings Metric based off the earning power of Will Smith’s net worth’s alone.  It does not include how much he potentially earns from his current projects, sponsorships, business revenue, or social media, etc. Again, this calculation is for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Will Smith’s Social Media Influence

As far as social media goes, Will Smith allegedly earns on average $107,500 per post just on TikTok [3] with his 73.9 million followers there. However, he likely earns much more on other platforms he is on as he has 65.7 million fans on Instagram, 9.8 million subscribers on YouTube, and 116.5 million on Facebook.

This means Will Smith’s total social media reach is approximately 265.9 million. Which really means, for all intents and purposes, that his earning power per social media post is roughly $2.5 million dollars accordingly to current social media marketing prices.

Key Facts:

  • Will Smith became a millionaire before the age of 18 as a rapper.
  • Will Smith’s full legal name is Williard Christopher Smith Jr.
  • Smith was the first Hip-Hop start to have ever been nominated for the Academy Awards

How Did Will Smith Become So Successful?

Will Smith has proven to be one of the most driven and success focused actors in Hollywood. But before he was a big A-list actor pulling in $100 million dollars to star in a movies like ‘Men in Black 3’ [4], he found huge success in the popular T.V. Series ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ in the 90’s.

And before that, he was a rapper. In fact, Will Smith actually became a millionaire even before the age of 18, with his early success within the rap duo known as DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

With his long list of accomplishments, Will Smith has managed to achieve much success as though it came easily to him. However this is not that case.

True, Will Smith has what’s seems to be a natural charisma that people instantly fall in love with, but his success comes down to his dedication to mastery.

Success In His Own Words

After studying a handful of his most famous comments on success, and closely observing his career and his success journey, we can confidently say that the traits most responsible for Will Smith’s success come down to the following: Self-Discipline, Mindset, Self-Belief, and Charisma.

Of course, you don’t have to just take our word for it, see for yourself:

1. “Self-discipline is the center of all material success.” – Will Smith

2. The first step, before any body believes it, you have to believe it.” – Will Smith

3. “I learned really young that my energy was infectious.” – Will Smith

4. “You gotta take a shot. You gotta live at the edge of your capabilities.” – Will Smith

5. “Whatever your dream is, every extra penny you have needs to be going to that.” – Will Smith

Related: Will Smith Quotes

Video Credit: Mulligan Brothers Interviews

Key Takeaways

Here are some key Will Smith takeaways:

  • Will Smith’s Net Worth:  $390 million
  • **Net Worth Earning Power:  $15.6 million
  • Largest Payout: $100 million
  • Total Social Media Followers: 265.9 million
  • Social Media Earning Power: $2.5 million per post
  • Keys to Success:  Self-Discipline, Mindset, Self-Belief, and Charisma

Will Smith’s net worth is a result of his dedication to being the best at whatever he does, and leveraging his iron-clad self-discipline to rise up and overcome every challenge he is faced with.  Without self-discipline, Will Smith would have never pushed himself to achieve the his dream of being a famous movie star.

His willingness to make himself do what is necessary and to improve and master his craft, be it in music or movies, has propelled him reach the heights of professional and financial success.

So, we hope you’ve gathered some inspiration from this Will Smith Net Worth page, his achievements, and other key facts that can help you as you strive to realize your dreams and big goals.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed our Will Smith Net Worth page, then you may enjoy learning about the net worth’s of other Hollywood successes like Jessica Alba or Kevin Hart.

** These earnings are hypothetical and calculated off of the earning power of Will Smith’s net worth alone, assuming a 4% dividend yield.

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MARK CUBAN’S NET WORTH AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL

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Mark Cuban Net Worth

Mark Cuban is one of the most recognized names in the world when it comes to entrepreneurship. He’s an American entrepreneur, investor, highly successful businessman, and the richest cast member of the hit reality T.V. show ‘Shark Tank’. He’s also the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and he has ownership stakes in over 206 additional enterprises.

“It’s Not About Money Or Connections, It’s About The Willingness To Outwork and Outlearn Everyone.”

– mark cuban –

Indeed, Mark Cuban has accomplished quite a bit in his life, and he has built up a sizeable net worth in the process.

So, that’s exactly what this page will be putting a spotlight on; Mark Cuban’s net worth and his earning power. And, just for good measure we’ll also include a few fun facts related to his success and influence. So, let’s dive in.

What Is Mark Cuban’s Net Worth?

Net Worth of Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban’s net worth has been slowly growing over the years, with an average growth in net worth over the past 5 years coming in at around 5.7% per year. Thus, his current net worth as of 2024 is approximately $5.7 billion. [1]

How Much Does Mark Cuban Make a Year?

There are various mentions of Mark Cuban’s annual earnings from his ownership of the Mavericks, and the amount he is paid from each episode of the Shark Tank (estimated at around $32,488) [2]; however, none of the figures are 100% confirmed.

As such, we can not provide a corroborated amount for how much money Mark Cuban makes per year. However, even without these numbers, we can still provide you with a reasonable estimate based off the earning power of his $5.7 billion net worth alone.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how much does Mark Cuban make a day, month, or even a year, our metric will give you a rough estimate.

To get to this number, we will assume Mark Cuban is a savvy enough investor to earn an annual 4.0% yield on his combined $5.7 billion net worth (FYI, a 4.0% return on investment is a very reasonable yield to expect, especially considering historical returns on safe investments tend to fall between the 3% to 5% range).

Related: The 4% Rule

So, if hypothetically speaking, Mark Cuban decided to liquidate all of his assets and then used that money to buy a handful of REITS or stocks in solid companies that consistently pay out a modest 4.0% yield per year (i.e. any combination of these dividend aristocrat businesses), his annual income would very easily be $228 million per year. 

Here’s is Mark Cuban’s Money Metrics for what the comes out to per month, day, hour etc..

Mark Cuban’s Money Metrics

Money MetricAmount
Net Worth:$5,700,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:$228,000,0000
Per Month:$19,000,000
Per Week:$4,384,615
Per Day:$626,373
Per Hour:$26,098
Per Min:$434
Per Sec:$7.24

Note: this is a hypothetical (but very possible) earnings metric based off of the earning power of Mark Cuban’s Net worth.  It does not include how much he potentially earns from projects, sponsorships, Shark Tank shows, Maverick’s Ownership income, or social media, etc. Again, this calculation is for entertainment purposes only. Methodology

Fun Facts:

  • Mark Cuban was born July 31, 1958 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
  • Cuban is the proud father of 3 (Alexis, Jake, and Alyssa) and is married to Tiffany Stewart.
  • Mark Cuban became a millionaire at the age of 32 and a billionaire at the age of 40.

Mark Cuban’s Net Worth History

Mark Cuban’s Social Media Earning Power

Mark Cuban has been growing his social media presence over the past decade, and his influence on the various social platforms continues to grow.

That said, if you’ve ever wondered about how much he could also make from his social media reach alone, we got you covered.

First things first; Mark Cuban has 1.9 million Instagram followers, 1.5 million Facebook Followers, 10K YouTube subscribers, 8.8 million Twitter followers, and 720K TikTok followers. This comes out to a grand total of 12.93 million social media followers.

So, after incorporating the average social media marketing rates, Mark Cuban could easily command nearly $120K per sponsored post… if he wanted to.

How Did Mark Cuban Become So Rich?

After Mark Cuban was fired from a software company because he chose to seal a deal for $15,000 against his bosses wishes, instead of cleaning up the store, as was requested of him, he struck out on his own.

Mark Cuban Net Worth Quote

Mark Cuban Cuban would then go on to find much of his initial success as a scrappy 32year old entrepreneur who sold his very first business, Micro Solutions for around $6 million in 1990.

He then went on to join Audionet (which would eventually become Broadcast.com) in 1995, and helped grow the company to a point where it was earning millions in annual revenue. In 1999 the company was sold to Yahoo! for a whopping $5.7 billion, making Mark Cuban a billionaire by the age of 40.

Shortly after, in early 2000, Mark Cuban would go on to acquire a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Since then, Cuban has found additional successes via a variety of film appearances, in addition to becoming a star cast member of the world-renowned reality T.V. show ‘Shark Tank’.

For a more detailed account of Mark Cuban’s “Rags to Riches” story and how he became so successful, be sure to check out our Mark Cuban Success Story

Mark Cuban on Success

Mark Cuban’s success has certainly been no accident. He’s a big believer in self-education, hard work, and putting in the effort to compete and stay ahead of his competition.

In fact, here are a few of Mark Cuban’s own thoughts on success:

1. “There is very little knowledge that can’t be obtained through effort.” – Mark Cuban

2. “It’s not about money or connections — It’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business. And if it fails, you learn from what happened and do a better job next time.” – Mark Cuban

3. “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you.” – Mark Cuban

4. “The key to being successful and achieving your dreams no matter what they are, is finding something you really really like to do, and being great at it.” – Mark Cuban

5. “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” – Mark Cuban

Related: Mark Cuban Quotes on Success

Here’s a great video to watch for additional insights on what Mark Cuban believes it takes to be successful:

Video Credit: Yahoo Finance (Subscribe Here)

Start Building a Net Worth Like Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban struck it big with the sale of his first two businesses, which eventually helped him build his sizeable net worth. But, Mark also had to be strategic in his investments and pay attention to where and how he stored his money.

Had he been careless, his net worth would not be nearly as large as it is today. With that said, here are a few small steps you, yes you can start taking today to start building your own net worth.

Sure, it may take while to grow your fortune to a Mark Cuban sized net worth, but hey, we all have to start somewhere:

Key Takeaways

 Here are some key takeaways from Mark Cuban’s net worth profile:

  • Mark Cuban’s Net Worth:  $5.7 billion
  • Annual Earnings **:  $228 million
  • Social Media Followers:  12.93 million
  • Social Media Earning Power: Approximately $120K per sponsored post
  • Keys to Success:  Self-Education, Effort, Staying Ahead of The Competition

Mark Cuban’s massive net worth is directly related to his willingness to put in the time to conduct the extensive research necessary to get ahead of his competitors, that and the extra effort needed to sufficiently innovate to stay ahead of his competitors as well.

In addition to this, his large fortune is also a result of his penchant for taking calculated risks to reach his goals. Certainly, Cuban’s a bit less risky these, days, but, he was quite fearless in his younger years.

With that said, we hope you’ll take these insights and allow them to inspire you to reach your aims.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this net worth profile on Mark Cuban then we have a hunch you’ll be interested in learning about who is the richest shark on Shark Tank.

** These earnings are hypothetical and calculated off of Mark Cuban’s net worth’s earning power alone assuming a 4.0% dividend yield.

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