Consider the case of Sam Walton. He built a tiny dime store from the corner of Arkansas into the biggest retailer in the world, amassing a family fortune of more than $125 billion. There's nothing sexy about selling fifty-cent flip-flops and bottles of cheap cologne in small towns but Walton was on a mission to bring affordable goods to everyday Americans. He was a man possessed with vision. He built his company one store at a time - one might even say one checkout at a time - with no fanfare or red carpet walks.
Business owners represent a disproportionately large segment of the millionaire population. It's hard to believe, but there's a good chance that the biggest hardware store owner or plumber in your town has a net worth many times that of you highest paid doctor. Part of the reason is a concept we've discussed called capitalized earnings. Another is something Dr. Stanley mentioned in his book. Doctors are pressured to buy status symbols to convince their patients they are successful. Not the plumber. He can put more money into his retirement accounts. Over decades, the result is millions in additional wealth for the guy who unclogged toilets instead of arteries. That's not something you learn about in school.
