Robert Kiyosaki reveals how he bought a $4.5M house with 1 asset that only cost $450K — and there’s no catch. Here’s how to copy the move

“So I just paid for my house. They wanted $4.5 million for it,” Kiyosaki said in a recent appearance on “The Iced Coffee Hour” podcast. (1) “So I just took out some gold from my safe, paid for it. The gold only cost me $450,000.”

In other words, Kiyosaki had been sitting on a stash of gold — and because its value had soared over the years, it allowed him to buy something worth 10 times his original cost.

“The house was $4.5 million but because I saved gold coins, so I only paid $450,000 for the gold. But over the years it went to $4.5 million, so I paid for that,” he added.

Of course, the gold was worth the full $4.5 million at the time of the house purchase — so it’s not as if he scored a discount on the property. The difference wasn’t in the house price, but in the power of holding an asset that had appreciated dramatically over time.

And Kiyosaki makes no secret of his preference for the precious metal.

“I have boxes of gold. I own gold mines.”

The safe haven shines again

Gold has helped people preserve wealth for thousands of years — and in 2025, it’s glittering again. Over the past 12 months alone, the price of gold has surged by more than 50%.

For Kiyosaki, his faith in gold comes down to one thing: a deep distrust of fiat money. “I’m not buying gold because I like gold, I’m buying gold because I don’t trust the Fed,” he said in an interview back in 2021. (2)

And the numbers back him up. If he had kept $450,000 of cash in his safe instead of gold, it wouldn’t have grown to $4.5 million. In fact, its buying power would have been substantially eroded by years of inflation. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, $100 in 2025 has the same purchasing power as just $12.05 did in 1970. (3)

Gold, on the other hand, is a natural hedge against inflation. Unlike fiat currencies, it can’t be printed at will by central banks. It’s also widely considered the ultimate safe haven asset, not tied to any one country, currency or economy. In times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors often flock to gold — driving prices higher.

Kiyosaki isn’t alone in his stance. Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, told CNBC earlier this year that “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.”

One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Thor Metals.

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.

To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases.

Where Kiyosaki makes ‘most’ of his money

Given how much gold prices have soared, Kiyosaki’s stash has clearly paid off. But it’s not the only asset fueling his fortune.

When the host asked him, “At this point, where do you make most of your income from?” Kiyosaki did not hesitate. (1)

“Just property and oil,” he replied.

And he doesn’t hide his enthusiasm for real estate.

“I own 1,500 rental properties,” he said, adding that “I like real estate.”

Just like gold, real estate can be a powerful hedge against inflation — with the added benefit of generating rental income.

When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts for inflation.

Today, you don’t need to be as wealthy as Kiyosaki to get started in real estate investing. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to [invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100], all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.