Bill Gates’ Top 5 Tips for Getting Richer
Written by
Gabriel Vito
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Bill Gates didn’t just co-found Microsoft and become one of the richest people on Earth; he did it by thinking long-term, building smart habits and staying relentlessly curious.
And here’s the good news: many of his most valuable money strategies don’t require a billion-dollar business or a computer science degree. Gates has shared several principles that can help anyone, regardless of their salary, become wealthier over time. Below are five Gates-inspired tips to grow your wealth, build resilience and start thinking like a billionaire.
Looking for more advice? Check out Warren Buffett’s top tips for getting richer.
Build Skills That Never Go Out of Style
Gates is a lifelong learner, someone who reads dozens of books a year and still makes time for in-depth study. “Reading is still the main way that I both learn new things and test my understanding,” Gates said in an interview with The New York Times.
He’s particularly bullish on learning to code, analyze data or understand science and systems thinking. But it doesn’t have to be technical. What matters is picking up skills that add long-term value and can grow with you, like writing, solving complex problems or leading a team.
Stay Optimistic, Even When Progress Is Slow
Gates is a long-term thinker. He’s spent decades solving massive global problems, from eradicating diseases to rethinking energy and he’s often said that believing progress is possible is the first step to making it real. “Even in dire situations, optimism fuels innovation and leads to new approaches that eliminate suffering,” Bill Gates said during his 2014 commencement address at Stanford University.
That same mindset applies to building wealth. If you’re starting from scratch, it’s easy to feel like you’ll never get ahead. But optimism, paired with consistent action, is what keeps you moving forward.
Wealth isn’t built overnight. It’s built by people who believe their effort matters and who keep going even when it doesn’t feel flashy or fast.
Save Cautiously, But Bet Boldly on the Future
“Save like a pessimist and invest like an optimist,” Gates said in an interview with CNBC. In other words, prepare for emergencies, but don’t let fear keep you on the sidelines forever.
He kept enough cash on hand to run Microsoft for 12 months without revenue, but he also invested in world-changing innovations like the internet, software and clean energy long before they were trendy.
If you want to grow your wealth, build a safety net, but also learn how to recognize long-term opportunities and act on them.
Don’t Confuse Being Busy With Being Effective
For years, Gates believed a packed schedule was the mark of a serious leader, until his perspective was changed by none other than Warren Buffett. “I remember Warren showing me his calendar,” Gates said in a conversation with Buffett and Charlie Rose. “There were weeks when there was nothing at all.” At the time, Gates had every minute booked and thought that was the only way to run a company.
Watching Buffett, he realized that constantly rushing from task to task wasn’t necessarily a sign of productivity. “It’s not a proxy of your seriousness that you’ve filled every minute in your schedule,” he later reflected.
Since then, Gates has become much more intentional with his time, protecting space for reading, thinking and working on big problems without distraction. The lesson: business doesn’t equal progress. If you want to grow wealth or make smarter decisions, prioritize quality time over constant activity.
Pay Attention to Global Trends
Throughout his career, Gates has stayed ahead by anticipating where the world is headed. He built Microsoft during the software revolution and later focused his philanthropy on global health threats long before pandemics made headlines.
In a post on X addressed to college students, he said that if he were starting today, he’d study artificial intelligence, energy and biosciences.
That’s a clue for the rest of us: follow the future. If you’re choosing a side hustle, investment or career path, don’t just look at what’s hot now; look at what’s about to reshape the next decade.
Think Like Gates, Even If You’re Not Rich (Yet)
Bill Gates may have billions in the bank, but most of the ideas that built his fortune, like curiosity, discipline and long-term thinking, cost nothing to start. You don’t need to launch a tech company to apply these tips. Start small. Think ahead. Learn constantly. Save strategically.
That’s how wealth gets built in real life, not just on the Forbes list.
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