Global Investing

CHAPTER 1Own Good Businesses

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Business Ownership

The best way to build wealth is through business ownership. Think of some wealthy individuals. Most of them probably became wealthy by owning and operating a business. Even some of the most famous actors, singers, and athletes end up generating more wealth after their careers end by using their fame as a platform to start a business. Don't be concerned if you can't think of a lucrative business of your own to start. Become an owner of an already successful business that someone else founded! Owning shares in a company could potentially be as good as if you started the business yourself, but with significantly less effort. For anyone who has money to invest, share ownership (also referred to as stock or equity ownership) provides them with an opportunity to be a business owner. You may be surprised at how little money it takes to get started. This makes stock ownership the great equalizer when it comes to wealth creation. Accordingly, this book is focused on equity (stock) investing. If you start investing at an early age, owning good businesses for an extended period of time could be all you need to build significant wealth. Having a long time horizon makes wealth accumulation easier, but even if you only have a shorter time period the power of investing can still have a positive impact on your financial health. Financial securities that do not provide business ownership, such as bonds, are not addressed in ...