Book · 1997
Rich Dad Poor Dad
by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Tracked Reddit references and selected source excerpts for Rich Dad Poor Dad.
What does Reddit think of Rich Dad Poor Dad?
68 mentions across r/investing, r/Bogleheads, and r/personalfinance over seven years, and the score is negative overall. r/investing does the heavy lifting: 44 mentions, sentiment firmly against. The ↑126 comment is direct: learn the difference between assets and liabilities, that is the one useful idea, "the rest of the book is a probably fake story, empty platitudes, and self help bullshit." A ↑164 comment technically defends it as a "good stepping stone into personal finance" before closing: "that's about it." A ↑73 post routes readers to YouTube debunks and calls it a gateway to a scam. The house-flipping section draws its own critics — the ↑167 top comment traces a famous extended rebuttal to the real estate advice specifically. r/Bogleheads, 23 mentions in, is less hostile than indifferent. A 50-something commenter (↑77) names it in a live-below-your-means list for younger readers, positioned before anything actually useful. r/personalfinance contributes 1 mention: Kiyosaki faces criminal charges and may lose his fortune.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · assets vs. liabilities
- · passive income mindset
- · real estate investing
- · financial literacy as a first step
- · self-help skepticism
Common praise
- + The assets-vs-liabilities framing gives first-time earners a mental model before they touch anything else.
- + Readable enough that teenagers actually finish it — r/Bogleheads commenters treat it as the on-ramp.
- + The passive income argument, however roughly made, points readers toward asking questions about how money works.
Common criticism
- − r/investing's ↑126 comment spends a paragraph establishing that the only real concept fits in one sentence.
- − The 'rich dad' backstory is described as probably fabricated across multiple high-upvote threads.
- − A ↑73 comment in r/investing routes the book directly to Kiyosaki's broader self-help product funnel.
- − The real estate advice attracted an extended rebuttal — the ↑167 top comment cites it explicitly — for how badly it misrepresents how flipping actually works.
- − r/personalfinance's single mention, with ↑67 upvotes, notes the author is facing criminal charges.
Who it's for
If this is the first personal finance book you've ever touched, fine — read it in a weekend, take the assets-vs-liabilities idea, and move on. The 44 r/investing mentions are basically a running verdict that nothing else in the book scales. r/Bogleheads across 23 mentions positions it as something for younger family members before they hit anything evidence-based. If you already know what an index fund is, the ↑164 commenter said it clearly: "that's about it."
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Rich Dad Poor Dad?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“I remember way back when rich dad poor dad was big, i read a guy who hated the author and wrote extended rebuttal to all of his get rich schemes. The one that really stuck with me was his bit on flipping houses. Contrary to what HGTV makes it look like, real estate is actually incredibly hard and …
“His "rich dad, poor dad" book is a really good stepping stone into personal finance and money management. But that's about it. There is nothing more you can or need to learn from this guy.
“"Rich Dad Poor Dad", really?
“**Rich Dad, Poor Dad** is awful. Ill save you the trouble of reading it, and give you the only valuable piece of info on it. **Learn the difference between assets and liabilities.** Thats it. The rest of the book is a probably fake story, empty platitudes, and self help bullshit. *Edit: I havent …
“There’s a lotta books that are just as bad as discord. I’d argue rich dad poor dad is one of them
“Search on YouTube for rich dad poor dad YNAB for a good recent review of the book. It’s basically a gateway to a self help scam and not a book with a good message.
“Just got to the point about rich dad poor dad, and I wanted to say that man did not give great advice, is now facing criminal charges and potentially losing his fortune. He’s another guru who sold a course that some people were able to profit off of (very small %) and the rest got f*****
“I think a small account or even a pretend account invested in 2-3 companies that he enjoys would be appropriate. I did include a list of books for kids and teens that you might find helpful: KIDS BOOKS 4-12 - The Berenstain’s Bears Dollars and Sense by Stan and Jan Berenstain - The Four Money Be…
Convinced? Pick up Rich Dad Poor Dad
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Rich Dad Poor Dad — counted from the comments, not curated.
The Richest Man in Babylon
George S. Clason
A 1926 book about a Babylonian merchant that r/Bogleheads still hands to newcomers because nothing else this short covers the basics this cleanly.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Ramit Sethi
Ramit Sethi's personal finance system for people who hate budgeting: automate everything, ignore avocado toast, stop leaving money in savings accounts.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street
Burton G. Malkiel
Burton Malkiel's 50-year argument that you can't beat the market, backed by data, and Reddit's most-cited reason to stop stock-picking.
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Taylor Larimore
The index-fund bible that turns 136 Reddit mentions into one repeatable answer: buy, hold, ignore the noise.
If You Can
William J. Bernstein
A free 16-page PDF from William Bernstein that tells millennials exactly how to invest for retirement using three index funds and nothing else.
The Simple Path to Wealth
JL Collins
A retired fund manager distills 40 years of index investing into one rule: buy VTSAX, ignore the noise, and wait.
Rich Dad Poor Dad — frequently asked
What does Reddit actually think of Rich Dad, Poor Dad?+
Mostly dismissive. Across 68 mentions in r/investing (44), r/Bogleheads (23), and r/personalfinance (1), the dominant read is that one concept — assets vs. liabilities — is worth keeping and the rest is fabricated anecdote or a funnel for Kiyosaki's product line. The ↑126 r/investing comment is the canonical verdict: "empty platitudes and self help bullshit."
Is Rich Dad, Poor Dad worth reading in 2026?+
Depends on where you're starting. r/investing's ↑164 comment allows it as a stepping stone for people new to personal finance, then says explicitly there's nothing more to learn from Kiyosaki afterward. If you're past the basics, the 44 r/investing mentions say no.
Is Rich Dad, Poor Dad's real estate advice any good?+
No. The ↑167 top comment in r/investing cites an extended rebuttal that circulated when the book peaked in popularity, focused specifically on how the house-flipping advice misrepresents the actual difficulty and mechanics of real estate. That rebuttal has stuck around longer than most of the praise.
Should I recommend Rich Dad, Poor Dad to a teenager?+
Conditional yes, with supervision. A ↑63 r/investing comment includes it on a list of books for kids and teens. But the surrounding thread makes clear it functions as a first exposure, not a guide. r/Bogleheads treats it the same way — hand it to someone before they read Bernstein, not instead of him.