Napoleon Hill: ‘Think and Grow Rich’ without the legend

‘Think and Grow Rich’ (1937) is one of the best-selling personal development books in history, with more than 15 million copies sold according to estimates. Its principles are still quoted in every seminar. Its author, on the other hand, has a much less inspiring story.

The book's promise

Napoleon Hill claims to have spent twenty years studying the richest men of his time, at the request of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, to extract a ‘philosophy of achievement’. The book draws thirteen principles from it. Here are the most useful ones, turned into concrete actions.

Definite desire

Hill asks you to write down a quantified financial goal, with a date, what you are prepared to give in return, and a plan. Then to read it morning and evening.

Stripped of its mystical side, this is excellent advice: a written, measurable goal turns into an action plan. ‘Being free’ will not get you moving. ‘€1,500 of passive income a month by 31 December 2031’ tells you how much to save starting this month. The calculator can help you set that figure.

Faith and autosuggestion

Hill believes that repeating your goal eventually makes it real. The reasonable version: your inner voice influences your actions. Someone who keeps telling themselves ‘money isn't for me’ will look for fewer opportunities. There is no point, however, in believing that a thought is enough to attract wealth.

Specialised knowledge

For Hill, general knowledge does not make you rich: specialised, applied knowledge does. Choose one field (rental property, a business niche, one type of investment) and become truly competent in it before opening another.

Decision and persistence

According to Hill, successful people decide quickly and change their minds slowly; others do the opposite. Most projects fail because they are abandoned too early, not because they were bad.

The ‘mastermind’

This is the principle most often borrowed today: a small group of people who share their knowledge and push each other towards their goals. Hill saw it as a kind of ‘extra mind’. Without going that far, the effect of good company is real. We devote an article to it: surrounding yourself with successful people.

What historians found out about the author

In 2016, journalist Matt Novak (Gizmodo) published a long investigation into Napoleon Hill based on press and court archives. It shows that:

• no evidence confirms his meeting with Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie's biographer, David Nasaw, says he found no trace of it;
• Hill was involved in several affairs: a lumber business whose suppliers were not paid, a school in which he sold overvalued shares, prosecutions for misleading advertising;
• his claimed links with US presidents could not be verified.

What to keep

• A written, quantified and dated financial goal.
• Specialisation rather than scattering yourself.
• Persistence and company that pulls you up.

And what to leave behind: the idea that positive thinking is enough, and blind trust in people who sell success.

Where to find these services

• Napoleon Hill FoundationThe foundation that manages Napoleon Hill's legacy and publications

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This article is educational and is not personal investment, tax or legal advice. Figures change: check them with the sources cited or a licensed professional before deciding. Read the full disclaimer.