Billionaire Investor John rogers Reveals 3 Keys to Building Wealth and a Lasting Career
NEW YORK – Ariel Investments founder and Princeton basketball alum John Rogers attributes his success not to market timing, but to basic principles of teamwork, integrity, and valuing quality, he recently told Business Insider. The billionaire investor, 67, shared three core tenets that have guided his decades-long career and which he now imparts to his daughter and the next generation of investors.
Rogers emphasizes the importance of reliability. “If people no that they can rely on the fact that you are delivering on time and are not looking for excuses, then the success arises – and you get more and more responsibility and more and more opportunities,” he explained. He stresses being a dependable team player, working diligently for colleagues and upholding commitments.
Beyond professional conduct, Rogers highlights the importance of strong values. Serving on the boards of Nike and The New York Times Company, he advocates treating everyone with respect, regardless of wealth or status.He advises choosing friends based on character, not social standing, a lesson instilled by his own father. “Some people have a natural attraction – they only want to hang out with the chic people with the big titles and a lot of wealth,” Rogers said. “I try to stop them.”
rogers encourages individuals, notably those from privileged backgrounds, to forge their own paths. He deviated from his father’s legal career by entering the financial world, and his daughter is similarly pursuing her passion for art, design, and creativity at Autodesk, autonomous of his network. He believes in investing in quality assets, even at a higher price point, echoing the philosophy of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger: “Better buy splendid companies that can grow and multiply over time” than seek out cheap investments.
Despite a prosperous career, Rogers remains excited about the markets and plans to continue investing for several years before transitioning into a mentorship role, guiding the next wave of investors.
