Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! is a 1997 book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It advocates the importance of financial literacy (financial education), financial independence and building wealth through investing in assets, real estate investing, starting and owning businesses, as well as increasing one's financial intelligence (financial IQ).
Rich Dad Poor Dad is written in the style of a set of parables presented as autobiographical.[1] The titular "rich dad" is his best friend's father who accumulated wealth due to entrepreneurship and savvy investing, while the "poor dad" is claimed to be Kiyosaki's own father who he says worked hard all his life but never obtained financial security.
Kiyosaki's prior business ventures had been modest, but he promoted Rich Dad Poor Dad from self-publication to best-seller status and made it the cornerstone of a media and educational franchise.[2] For many years he avoided questions about the identity of the "rich dad," raising suspicions that no such person had existed.[3]