Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," has publicly stated his disagreement with financial advisor Dave Ramsey's stance on debt. In a March 2025 tweet, Kiyosaki posted: "My friend Dave Ramsey says 'Live debt free.' I say 'I use debt to invest. I am $1.2 billion in debt.' Again, who is right?"
Kiyosaki promotes an investment philosophy that treats debt as a tool for building wealth through assets like precious metals. During a recent interview on the School of Hard Knocks Podcast, he elaborated on this view. "If you can't manage debt — live debt-free," Kiyosaki said. "But the opposite side of that is to learn to handle debt. Because in 1971, when Nixon took the dollar off the gold standard, the US dollar became debt. So that's why my rich dad said, 'You better take a course on real estate, learn how to raise capital [and] invest. Learn how to talk to your banker about getting debt and then use the real estate to provide cash flow, not income.'"
This perspective directly contrasts with Ramsey's emphasis on achieving financial security by eliminating debt. Kiyosaki has specifically pointed to precious metals as favored safeguards. In October 2023, he predicted, "Gold will soon break through $2,100 and then take off. You will wish you had bought gold below $2,000. Next stop, gold $3,700." Following that statement, gold prices increased significantly, reaching approximately $4,460 per ounce in 2025.
Kiyosaki has also cautioned investors about selecting financial advisors. A February 2024 post from him reads: "Don't be a loser. Choose your financial advisors carefully." The public exchange highlights differing approaches to personal finance management between the two prominent figures.