Many experts are warning that America may be headed for a recession as a result of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. But according to Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki, something far worse is looming.
“In 2025 credit card debt is at all time highs. U.S. debt is at all time highs. Unemployment is rising. 401(k)’s are losing,” he wrote in an X post on April 18. “U.S.A. may be heading for a GREATER DEPRESSION.”
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Americans now owe a record $1.21 trillion on their credit cards, while the U.S. National debt has climbed to $36.22 trillion.
“For those who take action today, when the crash crashes, those who invest in just one Bitcoin, or some gold, or silver … You may come through this crisis a very rich person,” Kiyosaki wrote.
That advice should come as no surprise — Kiyosaki has long been a vocal proponent of these alternative assets, which he backed by making a bold prediction.
“I strongly believe, by 2035, that one Bitcoin will be over $1 million. Gold will be $30K and silver $3,000 a coin,” he wrote.
Let’s take a closer look at the assets he’s championing.
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
Precious metals
Kiyosaki’s endorsement of gold and silver is nothing new — he’s been advocating for precious metals for decades.
Back in October 2023, he wrote on X: “Gold will soon break through $2,100 and then take off. You will wish you had bought gold below $2,000. Next stop, gold $3,700.”
Gold prices surged in 2024 and have continued to climb through 2025 — hitting a record high of $4,000 per ounce for the first time on October 7, 2025.
Gold has long been viewed as a safe haven. It’s not tied to any one country, currency or economy. It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money, and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in — driving up its value.
Ray Dalio, founder Bridgewater Associates — the world’s largest hedge fund — told CNBC in February: “People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” adding that, “when bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”
For those looking to capitalize on gold’s potential while also securing tax advantages, one option is to open a gold IRA with the help of Goldco.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. . With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers free shipping and access to a library of retirement resources. Plus, the company will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.
If you’re curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today.
Real estate — revisited
“Your house is not an asset,” Kiyosaki once said during an interview with finance YouTuber Sharan Hegde in September 2023. “What is the definition of the word? If it puts money in my pocket, it's an asset. If my house is taking money from my pocket, it's a liability.”
His point is that owning the home you live in often takes money out of your pocket in the form of mortgage payments, utilities, taxes and maintenance costs. Rental properties, however, are a different story.
According to the Rich Dad website, rental properties can generate significant, regular cash flow when purchased and managed wisely. Additionally, increases in rents and property values over time can create “an important supplementary revenue stream.” While all investments carry some risk, cash-flowing properties are “generally less subject to the daily ups and downs” of the market.
Today, you don’t need to be as wealthy as Kiyosaki to get started in real estate investing.
For instance, the Fundrise Flagship Fund¹ is a $1 billion private real estate fund that lets you invest in an expertly crafted strategy without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don’t need to be an accredited investor, and you can get started with as little as $10.
With 4,700+ single-family homes and 2,500+ residential units owned by the Fundrise Flagship Fund, you get exposure to institutional-style scale and diversification.
215 Interchange
Las Vegas, NV
Pine Ridge
Fountain Inn, SC
Omnia
Richmond Hill, GA
These are a few examples of properties powering the Fundrise Flagship Fund. For a full list of the Fundrise Flagship Fund's portfolio properties see the Flagship Fund website.
After you place your first investment, the Fundrise Flagship Fund will work to find and add new assets to your portfolio over time and send you transparent updates along the way.
It only takes a few minutes to sign up now and become a real estate investor today.
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
Bitcoin
Bitcoin has been one of the top-performing assets of the past decade — and Kiyosaki is betting it still has room to run.
On Nov. 29, he predicted on X: “Bitcoin will soon break $100,000.” On Dec. 4, the cryptocurrency surpassed that milestone, grabbing headlines worldwide.
Although Bitcoin has since dipped below $100,000, Kiyosaki’s long-term forecast remains ambitious: $1 million per coin by 2035.
He’s not alone in that view. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said in an interview with Pirate Wires published in May 2024 that Bitcoin could hit “at least” $1 million by 2030 — and possibly go even higher.
For those looking to hop on the bitcoin bandwagon, platforms like Robinhood Crypto allow users to buy and sell crypto with as little as $1 without any trading fees or commissions.
Robinhood Crypto has the lowest trading cost on average in the U.S. — meaning you could get up to 1.7% more crypto compared to trading on other platforms.
Fine art
Although Kiyosaki didn't mention it in his X post, another way to diversify is through art investments.
All in all, art represents a massive asset class with a total estimated global value of $2.17 trillion, based on Deloitte’s 2023 Art + Finance report. Even better, the global art market saw $65 billion in annual transactions in 2023, according to Art Basel and UBS.
In fact, fine art has historically outperformed the S&P 500. Contemporary art, or pieces produced after 1945, show especially strong annualized price appreciation at 14% from 1995 to 2023 compared to the S&P 500's 9.6%, according to the CAIA association.
In the past, you had to be ultra-wealthy to invest in art, but now services like Masterworks have opened the door to art investing. So far, over 1 million members have joined the platform.
Here’s how it works: Instead of buying a single painting for millions of dollars, you instead invest in fractional shares of blue-chip paintings by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Banksy. Blue-chip paintings are pieces of art that tend to only increase in value over time, much like blue-chip companies.
Joan Mitchell
17.8% annualized net return
Yayoi Kusama
17.6% annualized net return
George Condo
21.5% annualized net return
These are a few examples of sold artworks from Masterworks. For a full list of currently available art, visit Masterworks' Price Database.
From here, all you have to do is select how many shares you want to buy and Masterworks will take care of the rest.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd
Jing is an investment reporter for MoneyWise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.
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