Robert Kiyosaki, the 79-year-old author of the 44-million-copy best-seller Rich Dad Poor Dad, has revealed that he is $1.2 billion in debt. Appearing on the Get Rich Education podcast, he explained that this massive leverage is not a financial failure, but rather a deliberate wealth-building strategy.

The massive figure is tied directly to real estate investments owned with business partners, which include roughly 1,500 apartment units. According to his former wife and business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, Robert's personal share of this liability is relatively small. In fact, Vanity Fair estimates his individual debt could range from $30 million to $60 million, assuming his reported annual income of around $3 million is accurate.

Kiyosaki's approach involves borrowing tax-free loans against rising property equity and isolating each investment in separate limited liability companies (LLCs) to create protective corporate "firewalls". Though he champions this high-leverage strategy to acquire cash-flowing assets, he strongly warns his audience not to blindly copy his moves without proper financial education