If you think rich people got wealthy by ripping others off or inheriting a fortune, Dave Ramsey has some choice words for you. And they're not particularly gentle.
The personal finance expert tackled what he sees as dangerous misconceptions about wealth building during a recent episode of "The Ramsey Show," arguing that most Americans who achieve financial success do so through decidedly unglamorous methods.
"They live on less than they make, they avoid debt, and that's how they became rich," Ramsey explained. "It wasn't that they rip people off or raided a pension fund or file bankruptcy 22 times or all of your leftist crap, 'they inherited money, oh I can't inherit money so how am I going to rich people stuff,' You're a moron, you're just a moron."
The Inheritance Myth
Ramsey backed up his blunt assessment with data from research conducted by his company, Ramsey Solutions. The numbers paint a different picture than popular narratives suggest: 90% of America's millionaires are first-generation rich, 79% inherited nothing at all, and just 5% inherited less than $100,000.
"The idea that you inherited money and it made you a millionaire is an absolute fallacy," Ramsey said. "It's just factually wrong. It's not where millionaires come from."
This matters because if you believe wealth is primarily inherited or stolen, you're essentially telling yourself success is impossible through honest effort. It's a self-defeating narrative that Ramsey thinks keeps people from adopting the behaviors that actually build wealth.
Why Crooks Don't Prosper
Ramsey also pushed back against the notion that exploiting people leads to sustainable wealth. His logic is straightforward: word gets around. Take a dishonest car mechanic who overcharges customers. Sure, he might make a quick buck once, but customers talk.
"Now I'm confused. Being a crook, how did he prosper?" Ramsey asked rhetorically. "It's mathematically impossible for him to prosper ripping people off. Now, you might get a one-time hit, but nobody goes back for seconds with crooks except stupid people."
The honest mechanic, by contrast, builds something more valuable than a one-time windfall. He builds a reputation. When he fixes a problem quickly and charges next to nothing for a simple repair, customers become evangelists.
"The guy fixes your car. He does a great job and he goes, 'Oh hey, you know, it's a 35-cent part, it took me five minutes, no charge.' What do you do then?" Ramsey said. "You tell everybody you know to get their car fixed. They're so honest. Good people are the ones that prosper. Please don't think otherwise. It just makes you look stupid."
Ramsey's underlying point is about control. If you believe wealth comes from inheritance or exploitation, you're powerless. But if wealth comes from living below your means, avoiding debt, and treating people fairly, those are things you can actually do. It's a message about agency dressed up in characteristically blunt language.