"The father of modern personal finance storytelling, who turned ancient Babylon into a timeless classroom for saving and building wealth."
George S. Clason (1874–1957) was an American author and businessman best known for "The Richest Man in Babylon," a collection of financial parables set in ancient Babylon that has become one of the best-selling personal finance books of all time. Clason began his career in publishing and later founded the Clason Map Company, but it was a series of pamphlets he wrote in the 1920s for banks and insurance companies—retelling timeless money principles through Babylonian fables—that became his lasting legacy. Those pamphlets were later collected into the 1926 book that still shapes how millions of readers think about saving, investing, and building wealth nearly a century later.
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
George S. Clason's classic parables teach timeless wealth principles: save 10%, invest wisely, avoid debt, and build your earning power. A 14-minute…
Read Summary →Clason's central rule: set aside at least one-tenth of everything you earn before spending on anything else, treating savings as a non-negotiable expense rather than an afterthought.
Idle savings aren't enough—Clason urges readers to put money to work through sound investments so it earns more gold, compounding wealth over time.
Only take financial advice from those who are genuinely skilled in handling money profitably, not well-meaning friends who lack the expertise.
"Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you only take what is worth having."— The Richest Man in Babylon
"Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts."— The Richest Man in Babylon
"It costs nothing to ask wise advice from a good friend."— The Richest Man in Babylon
"If you desire to help thy friend, do so in a way that will not bring thy friend's burdens upon thyself."— The Richest Man in Babylon
George S. Clason's classic parables teach timeless wealth principles: save 10%, invest wisely, avoid debt, and build your earning power. A 14-minute deep summary.
