What was your motivation?

My motivation came from wanting to change the situation my family was in. The broken-down apartment we lived in rarely had running hot water. The toilet was constantly jammed and roaches seemed to have signed a long term lease in our place. I wanted us to live like the people I saw on television. In essence, I wanted my family to experience heaven on earth.

How did you know you could (would) succeed?

I have always felt that I could succeed. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t know what you can’t do. So I didn’t know it couldn’t be done because I had not tried it yet. I wanted to be successful just as much as I needed to be successful. I was uncomfortable when my family was uncomfortable, and when your life is uncomfortable and you can’t take anymore, you bring about a change. I believe that comfort is the enemy of achievement. It is when you are comfortable that you keep yourself away from your goal. So to create a success you have to get uncomfortable.

What is the number one misconception that people tend to have about you?

People tend to see you in a certain light after they read about you or see you on TV. Most people are surprised that I am an ordinary youth who had extraordinary goals. I’ve learned that a goal is nothing but a dream with date on it. So success never changed me. It was once said that “Fortune does not change men, it just unmasks them.” So yes I enjoy playing sports, dating, dancing and just going out to have fun. The good things is having money allows you to have whole lot of fun!

Can someone be happy by just being materially rich?

No. I have always believed we have to ask ourselves three questions; who am I? Who am I becoming? Am I happy with whom I am? If you can't answer one of those questions or something comes up wrong, fundamentally you have a major problem. You have something wrong from the inside out. I look at many different celebrities and other multi-millionaires and I see a lot of them experimenting with different types of drugs and hopping in and out of jail and generally living chaotic and mostly unproductive lives. People often wonder, ‘If these people are rich and famous, then why do they have troubles?’ I stand by the belief that they have tried to build themselves from the outside in with money and popularity, rather than the inside out with character and morals. This is the basic message of my book. My message is to deal with two factors. Money, yes, but also build a great conscience of character and be a giver and feed back. Integrity is the key. It starts with you. You can run away from your troubles, family, friends, money or anything else you want to flee from. You can never however, run away from yourself because everywhere you go there you are.

What is a Reallionaire?

A reallionaire is one who I feel is rich in character and in pocket but has placed the value of he or she’s character over that of the material wealth. A reallionaire stands out because a reallionaire is rare. Reallionaires are sincere and honest with people and in their endeavors.

Material used by permission of HCI Books.