Did Robert Kiyosaki Really Foresee the Market Downturn? 3 Predictions That Were Spot-On
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Kristen Mae
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For many people, Robert Kiyosaki remains a trusted advice-giver, known for his Rich Dad, Poor Dad series. He has long been attuned to the mentalities that can hold people back — and the strategies that can help them make money work for them. However, in recent years, some have come to see Kiyosaki as a fearmonger, given his dire predictions about market crashes and economic collapse.
While it’s tempting to dismiss Kiyosaki as someone seeking attention with doomsday warnings — and, to be fair, many of his earlier predictions of market crashes didn’t come true — some of his more recent warnings about the economy and market conditions have held weight.
The Market Will Crash
One reason Kiyosaki has earned a reputation as a “wannabe Nostradamus” is that many of his predictions about a supposedly inevitable market crash — notably in 2020 and 2021 — failed to materialize. Now, however, recent market volatility is making people wonder if this might be the year he finally gets it right.
In a social media post, Kiyosaki said, “In 2014 I published RD’s Prophecy predicting the biggest stock market crash in history. Unfortunately that ‘prophecy’ is coming true, in 2025. Markets are crashing and my concern is the world may be entering into another ‘Greater Depression.'”
Prophetic language aside, it’s worth noting that The Wall Street Journal reported that the S&P 500 recently saw its biggest decline in years, dropping more than 10% from its record high. The Journal attributed the drop, at least in part, to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs. With these tariffs turning into a game of economic “chicken” between the U.S. and foreign governments, it seems like the market is going to remain volatile for some time.
Let’s just hope Kiyosaki proves wrong about the “Greater Depression.”
Massive Layoffs Are Coming
In February 2025, Kiyosaki took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his deep concerns about widespread layoffs, even in sectors once considered safe.
“LAY OFFS to accelerate. Trump to eliminate 65,000 jobs,” he wrote. “Even oil companies laying off thousand of workers because the economy is contracting.”
With the Trump-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) swinging its axe through multiple government agencies, Kiyosaki might have been too conservative in his estimate, for once. According to some reports, DOGE plans to cut upwards of 280,000 jobs. Economist Clement Bohr has suggested that what Trump and DOGE are doing could constitute the largest single layoff event in U.S. history, potentially affecting up to 1 million jobs across industries.
Kiyosaki was also not wrong in his assessment that oil workers could be imperiled as well. In early February, Reuters reported that the massive oil company Chevron plans to lay off 15% to 20% of its workforce by the end of 2026.
Investing in Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin Is Wise
For years, Kiyosaki has championed alternative assets like precious metals and cryptocurrency — particularly bitcoin — as hedges against economic uncertainty. These assets form a key part of his own portfolio, offering a buttress against fluctuations in the market.
A mid-March report from GOBankingRates bears out this assessment: “According to APMEX, the price of gold is reaching an all-time high. The current price per 1 troy ounce of gold is around $3,013.40. This figure represents about a 13.7% increase from just three months ago and a giant 43.5% increase from just one year ago.”
According to CoinDesk, bitcoin’s volatility has decreased relative to the stock market. Writer Omkar Godbole attributed this shift to the impact of trade policies on investor behavior:
“For years, Wall Street criticized bitcoin (BTC) for its volatility, but the situation has dramatically changed as President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies diminish the appeal of U.S. assets,” Godbole wrote. “BTC’s seven-day realized volatility has doubled to 83%, yet it remains significantly lower than the S&P 500, hinting at the cryptocurrency’s possible evolution as a low-beta hedge against stocks. The cryptocurrency also looks significantly less volatile than the S&P 500 on a 30-day basis.”
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