Page 104 - Midas Touch

something good would happen, and we would continue on, living on very
little.

Looking back, it seems our faith was being tested. God, or whoever is
running the show, wanted to know if we were committed to being who we
were. In other words, were we trustworthy? Would we be true to our brand,

or would we give up when things got tough—when the money ran out?

When you read the stories of entrepreneurs, a great number of them have
gone through these periods of trials, tribulations, and a testing of faith. I
believe it is through this test of faith that a brand is born.

Bill Gates of Microsoft was tested when the U.S. government challenged
him, accusing Microsoft of monopolistic practices. Steve Jobs was tested

when he was fired from Apple, the company he founded. He was replaced
by a more corporate CEO who nearly destroyed the company. When Steve
stepped back in, Apple as a company and a brand took off. Facebook
founder, Mark Zuckerberg, faced one of his greater tests when the movie
Social Network suggested that he stole the idea of Facebook. I do not know
if Mark Zuckerberg stole Facebook. I just know that being accused of
stealing the business you own cannot be easy, no matter how rich you are.

The $4 Million Test

In 2000, after appearing on Oprah’s program, I received a call from a
famous company that sells mutual funds, asking me to endorse their
products. I politely refused, saying that the Rich Dad brand was not
compatible with mutual funds. When I refused, the company’s agent tested

my faith by saying, “We are prepared to offer you $4 million over four
years if you will endorse our mutual fund.”

A million dollars a year for four years was tempting, but I turned the offer
down. Endorsing a mutual fund would not be true to the brand or to the
people who believe in the Rich Dad message.

If I had endorsed the mutual fund company, in my mind, I would have
looked like a traitor to my readers, a turn-coat, a man who would do
anything for a million dollars a year, even sell out his own company and

his own soul. It would be like wearing that fake Rolex again.

Testing Never Ends