Ronald Read

There's a Scottish proverb that says, "Be not surprised when a rich heart is found under a poor coat." That was certainly true of Ronald Read, a man who passed away in 2014 and left behind a secret that stunned everyone who knew him.

After working 25 years as a gas station mechanic, Ronald retired and spent 17 years as a part-time janitor.

He mostly kept to himself, lived modestly, and drove a secondhand Toyota.

He taught himself the stock market at the library.

From there, he turned his meager $45,000 a year income into a fortune, most of which he later donated to local organizations, hospitals, and libraries.

People thought they had Ronald Read all figured out because he pushed a broom and wore a custodian's outfit.

No one saw a humble janitor worth millions.

We think a mere glance is all it takes to understand someone.

Meanwhile, there's a janitor in Vermont who died in twenty fourteen with eight million dollars in the bank.

His name was Ronald Read, and he spent his days sweeping floors and pumping gas.

But he understood something about money that most high earners completely miss.

I'm talking about the difference between making money and building wealth.