EP351: We Met 3 Billionaires… Here are 3 Things We Learned

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We expected the usual answers.
Work harder.
Save more.
Start a side hustle.

But when we asked three billionaires how they built their wealth, none of them said any of that.

Instead, they shared ideas that quietly rewired how we think about money, growth, and scale — and honestly? It changed how we’re building from $400 million to $10 billion in assets.

And here’s the part we didn’t expect:
By the end of this, you’ll see exactly what to copy — even if you’re starting from zero.

Why We Were Even in the Room

Before this sounds like theory, let us rewind for a second.

We’re Palmy and Nancy — the Kitti Sisters.

Two immigrant girls who built a $400+ million multifamily real estate portfolio, raised over $130 million from investors, exited more than $45 million, and spent years sitting in rooms where billionaires quietly rewrite the rules of wealth in real time.

And what they’re doing?

It looks nothing like what most people are taught.

The First Lesson: Keep Buying Assets

When we asked the first billionaire how to get rich, his answer was almost laughably simple:

“Keep buying assets.”

That was it.

No caveats.

No long explanation.

At first, we thought… That’s it?

But the more he explained, the clearer it became: At that level, no one is thinking about lifestyle anymore. They’re thinking about legacy.

✔️ Assets create cash flow.

✔️ Cash flow buys more assets.

✔️ And those assets can be passed down — again and again.

People hear that and think, “Cool, but that’s for billionaires.”

And that’s the lie.

You don’t need to be rich to own assets — you need access.

That’s why billionaires love syndications and fractional ownership. You get exposure to institutional-quality assets with lower capital, lower risk, and experienced operators running the deal.

And the difference between great operators and average ones?

➡️ Long-term vision.

➡️ Flexibility.

➡️ Clear communication — especially when markets get messy.

Because markets will move.

The question is whether the operator can move with them.

The Shift Most People Miss: Yield > Time ⏰

One thing really stood out to us.

Most people are taught that wealth is about time.

Start early.

Wait 40 years.

You’ll be fine.

Billionaires don’t think that way.

They think about yield.

Because compounding has three levers:

• How much you invest
• How long it compounds
• How fast it grows

If inflation eats your returns, time doesn’t save you.

Higher yield — in strong, risk-adjusted assets — wins every time.

Why Billionaires Call Real Estate a “Miracle Product”

At one point, he called real estate a miracle product — and we laughed… until he explained why.

Real estate lets you refinance without selling.

🤍 Tenants pay down the loan.

🤍 You refinance tax-free.

🤍 You pull capital out.

🤍 And you still own the asset.

❌ Stocks don’t do that.

❌ Crypto doesn’t do that.

❌ And none of them come with a third party paying down your debt.

Banks love income-producing real estate so much they’ll fund multi-million-dollar projects — often without personal guarantees.

It really is a money tree…

If you know how to use it.

The Second Billionaire: Don’t Chase Headlines — Build the Ecosystem

The second billionaire gave us a completely different answer:

“Don’t chase the headline. Invest in the ecosystem.”

He used AI as the example — calling it a five-layer cake.

And the foundation?

Energy.

AI is energy-intensive. Whoever controls energy supply controls the future — just like nuclear power during the Cold War.

That’s why investors should pay attention to:

• Land under energy infrastructure
• Capital stacks tied to energy projects
• Real estate near energy development

Then come chips and semiconductors — factories that bring high-income workers, suppliers, and entire ecosystems with them.

And what do those workers need first?

✨ Housing.

✨ Apartments.

✨ Build-to-rent communities.

Places to live before they buy.

Add infrastructure — roads, highways, transit — and suddenly commute time drops, demand rises, and long-term value shows up years before most investors notice.

AI models and applications matter, too — but even now, they still need humans.

Underwriting is still art + science.

Human behavior can’t be fully automated.

The Third Billionaire: Even Billionaires Use Other People’s Money

This one surprised us the most.

The third billionaire told us something simple — and powerful:

Even billionaires use other people’s money.

Especially when they don’t need to.

Creative financing isn’t weakness.
It’s how wealth scales faster with less risk.

Capital efficiency matters — no matter how big the balance sheet gets.

The Common Thread We Didn’t Expect

When we stepped back, we noticed something all three had in common:

👉 They’re relentlessly curious.

👉 They study constantly.

👉 They never assume they’ve “made it.”

👉 And they act — even before everything feels perfect.

That’s the difference.

Most people consume information.

Billionaires apply it — and build something with it.

The Real Takeaway

If you want to build wealth in this decade, stop copying what worked in the last one.

Start thinking like the people who already won.

Not louder.

Not faster.

Just smarter — with better access, better assets, and better questions.