The Making of a Maori Millionaire
What is a Millionaire?
A Millionaire is one who’s net worth is $1,000,000 or more. Their networth can be calculated by assets - liabilities.
So, It’s a simple equation to become a millionaire. This is that your assets are $1,000,000 more than your liabilities. In saying this, it is far easier to see on paper than to see on your bank statement. So, what are the behaviours of a Maori Millionaire? What is the lifestyle that helped one achieve this? What kind of life does a Maori Millionaire live? Is it hard? Is it possible? How?
What are the behaviors of a Maori Millionaire?
Little side step : I need you to Google ‘Rich Maori’. Now, google ‘Maori Wealth’. What comes up? Now, google ‘rich’ and then head to ‘images’. Do the same with ‘wealth’. Is there anything you notice? What about the fact that nothing positive comes up regarding Maori Wealth, and only white people come up when you google ‘rich’ or ‘wealth’.
Now, think independently of a ‘millionaire’. Who do you think of? Hands down it probably isn’t nanny or koro aye?
The point I am trying to make is that we have been conditioned to believe that Maori are not made for the rich life.
I didn’t choose the the Thug life,
The thug life chose me.
New Zealand is home to some of the most savage racists in the world. I couldn’t even promote a Maori Millionaire without little racists joining in saying “it isn’t fair” “why only help Maori?”... Well, what about the fact that every other financial Bro is styled towards middle aged white men?
The ironic thing about this all relates to my first important concept:
Compound Interest:
Compound Interest is when interest is made, and it adds to the principle. Then, interest is made on that principle + that first round of interest - this time though, the interest will be higher. It continues to occur until the interest becomes higher and higher. You start earning interest on interest and this is when you start growing money from money.
So, it makes sense that the younger you start allowing your money to compound, the more money you will end up with. This is why I am promoting Maori Millionaire to rangatahi, and people who haven’t started their financial journey.
In order to become a Maori Millionaire, you need to maximise compound interest.
The next ‘key idea’ you need to understand is:
Time in the market > Timing the Market:
The idea of this quote is as follows:
Timing the market: Attempting to ‘predict’ when the dips and highs will be and purchasing or selling around this prediction.
Time in the market: Purchasing consistent amounts, regularly which allows for dollar cost averaging. Dollar cost averaging occurs when you buy during highs and lows, but the consistency of buying allows you to average out the lows.
What does this mean? So, I don’t time the market. There are many reasons for this but the main one is that I don’t have time to learn how to do this. Instead, I prioritise time in the market. I do this by depositing a specific amount of money, each week, into Sharesies. I invest in managed funds no matter if they are doing ‘well’ or not.
The effect of ‘dollar cost averaging’ is that in the long term, the stock market will succeed. The stock market has never had a crash that it has not recovered from. This means that no matter if my stocks decrease in value, they will recover and increase.
Money Mindset:
I love the phrase ‘money mindset’. I use it all the time! To me, ‘money mindset’ is what gets you through everything. Money mindset is the ideas, motivations, and knowledge that you have that aids in your financial journey.
How to grow your money mindset:
Reading books!
Joining finance communities
Learning and exploring
Your money mindset will give you the matauranga to back yourself through the hard times. My favourite quote is one which says that:
“Motivation won’t get you through. It’s discipline that does this - the ability to wake up on your worst day and get back up and run” - Unknown.
Building your Money Mindset means that you are disciplines > motivated.
Recap of my three keys:
Compound Interest
Time in the market > Timing the market
Money Mindset.