Kiyosaki’s billion-dollar debt: How 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author treats leverage as ‘good debt’

Robert Kiyosaki, author of 'Rich Dad Poor Dad,' owes $1.2 billion, and he says that’s a feature, not a bug. He’s made a career out of teaching people that debt doesn’t have to be a financial disaster. In fact, he’s very public about the staggering amount he owes, explaining that debt, when used right, is core to how he built wealth. It’s a twist on the usual American dream, where most people scramble for years to wipe out their debt, not brag about it.Recently, that $1.2 billion number started making the rounds again after Kiyosaki talked about it on the Get Rich Education podcast. He’s 79 now, not slowing down, and happy to repeat that his approach isn’t something everyone should just copy. Per the New York Post, he’s been studying debt since the ’70s and still argues that borrowing, done wisely, is a tool, not a trap.