Richest People In America & How They Got Rich [Infographic]

The word “rich” evokes a lot of different emotions in different people. It’s probably the one word that has started more wars than any other. It’s also the one word that has most inspired people to innovate, help, and become outstanding. It’s also a word that has walled people in loneliness and despair. It’s a word that many people fear yet they still try to become it. The interesting thing is that when most people become rich, they don’t think it is all that. But it’s still a word that will keep being a motivating factor for people. So how do you get rich? What can you do, and what do you need to learn in order to get there? As it turns out, nerdwallet looked at the 400 richest people in America and compiled a list of industries they have succeeded within.

In this infographic called The 400 Richest Americans, we’ll get a closer look at who the richest people in America are and what they have done in order to amass such insane wealth. There is a misconception in the world that you have to have special skills in order to succeed, but nothing could be farther from the truth. The one factor binding all of these people together (besides them all being among the richest people in America) is that they have all been dedicated to a dream and to doing what they love. They managed to find a way to do what they knew felt right, and they enjoyed doing it. Dedication comes from excessive dreaming, and from doing what you love.

You can be a master of anything if you put your head and heart into it. It seems most of the richest people in America have gotten rich through financial services and hedge funds. A lot of people reading this will most likely want to know just how many people have gotten rich off of the Internet. Well, it so happens that 10.5% of all the richest people in America got rich through computer, tech or web ventures. As you see, you don’t have to be Mark Zuckerberg in order to bring in the dollars by the truck load.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a larger version of this infographic. So, you will have to squint in order to read the fine print I am afraid. The nerdiest people to become rich are probably the most interesting part of this infographic. People have become among the richest people in America through Beanie Babies, Star Wars, cheese and even trucking. Yup, you can become rich within any area that your heart dares to dream within. Never stop just because it hasn’t been done before. Chances are, you will have an even greater chance of becoming rich if no one else has done it before, if that is your goal and motivation. If I may suggest, use your heart and dedication towards a dream rather than money as your motivation, and you will do even greater things. Love, dreams and creativity have always had a much more positive influence on people than money.