Robert Kiyosaki’s claim to be US$1.2 billion in debt has sparked heated debate in China, where property investors have suffered steep losses
3-MIN READ3-MINZhu Wenqianin BeijingPublished: 4:00pm, 5 Sep 2026The revelation that Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has amassed a staggering debt pile has sparked heated discussion in China, where property investors have suffered painful losses in recent years amid a deep market downturn.
The 79-year-old Japanese-American author, who inspired generations of investors to take on leverage to scale up their investments, claimed in a series of podcast interviews over the summer that he owed US$1.2 billion.
His ex-wife and long-term business partner Kim Kiyosaki clarified in an interview with Vanity Fair in late August that the figure covered borrowings related to investments in roughly 1,500 flats, which were shared with his partners rather than personal liabilities.
Others recalled reading the book when they were younger and credited it for encouraging them to invest in stocks and funds, in posts on the Chinese social media platform RedNote.
