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The cover of The Richest Man in Babylon

The Richest Man in Babylon

George S. Clason, 1926

Parables from ancient Babylon teach money's plain rules: keep a tenth of what you earn, control spending, invest cautiously, repay debts and grow your ability to earn.

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10 parts, about 21 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Teaches saving through stories of Babylon that return to one rule: keep at least a tenth of all you earn, paying yourself first
  • Packs its advice into seven cures for a lean purse and five laws of gold: control spending, invest safely, seek experienced advice
  • Shows how debt, gambling and get rich quick schemes drain a purse, with a plan to repay creditors while still living and saving

Who it is for

  • Readers new to saving who want simple rules, not jargon
  • People in debt who need a repayment plan they can live on
  • Earners who make a decent living yet never keep anything

What the summary covers

  1. The Man Who Desired Gold1 min
  2. The Richest Man in Babylon3 min
  3. Seven Cures for a Lean Purse4 min
  4. Meet the Goddess of Good Luck2 min
  5. The Five Laws of Gold2 min
  6. The Gold Lender of Babylon2 min
  7. The Walls of Babylon1 min
  8. The Camel Trader of Babylon2 min
  9. The Clay Tablets from Babylon2 min
  10. The Luckiest Man in Babylon2 min

Recommended by

  • Suze OrmanPersonal finance author and television host

About the author

  • George S. ClasonAmerican author and founder of the Clason Map Company
    • Born in Louisiana, Missouri, on November 7, 1874
    • Attended the University of Nebraska and served in the US Army in the Spanish American War
    • Founded the Clason Map Company of Denver, which published the first road atlas of the United States and Canada
    • The map company did not survive the Great Depression
    • In 1926 began a series of pamphlets on thrift and financial success, told as parables set in ancient Babylon
    • Banks and insurance companies distributed the pamphlets in large quantities, and they became familiar to millions
    • Credited with coining the phrase Pay yourself first
    • Moved to Napa, California, in 1949 and died there on April 7, 1957

Read it alongside

  • Puts it into practiceI Will Teach You to Be Rich

    George S. Clason says to keep at least a tenth of whatever you earn before paying anyone else; Ramit Sethi says to make saving and investing happen by default, with automatic transfers set for fixed days after payday

  • Pushes backThe Simple Path to Wealth

    George S. Clason has Arkad teach that a home bought with a loan and steadily paid off becomes a profitable investment. J. L. Collins says a house is an expensive indulgence, not an investment, and warns against so called good debt.

  • Goes deeperThe Next Millionaire Next Door

    Clason says expenses expand with income unless restrained by a budget; Stanley and Fallaw identify neighbors as a source of consumption standards, with wealthier neighborhoods potentially raising spending across many categories.

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