Danny Moloshok/Reuters
- John Rogers emphasizes that passion and relationships are key to success.
- He recommends building careers to build topics that you love and maintain personal networks.
- Rogers heads Ariel Investments and sees long -term friendships as valuable for advice in difficult times.
Passion, good relationships and reliability – for John Rogers, these are the cornerstones of a successful career and a fulfilling life.
“Build up your career around areas that you are happy to read, study and think about,” says the founder, co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer from Ariel Investments in an interview with Business Insider. The billionaire is using Warren Buffett’s famous concept of the “competence group”: People make better decisions if they remain in areas that they really understand. “There is no doubt about that,” emphasizes Rogers.
Network and use networks
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Rogers founded Ariel in 1983, at just 24 years. Today, the company manages assets of $ 14 billion (around 12.9 billion euros). His advice to young people: invest not only in your career, but also in your personal networks.
“If you really meet smart and thoughtful, ethical and honest people, you should maintain these relationships for your career,” he says.
To this day, Roger’s people who he got to know decades ago – experienced investors, school friends, and well -known investors. In difficult situations, he asks you for advice. Because new acquaintances are often not yet ready to get involved so much. “Long -term, clever friends”, whom you trust, would share their best ideas without wanting anything other than helping.
The billionaire demands a reliable team player
Rogers, former captain of the Princeton University basketball team, still has a third advice: be a good teammate.
For billionaires, this means to work for friends and colleagues and always stand by his obligations. “If people know that they can rely on the fact that you are delivering on time and are not looking for excuses, then the success arises – and you get more and more responsibility and more and more opportunities,” he says.
It depends on the right values
Rogers sits on the board of Nike and the New York Times Company. He also talks about how wealthy parents can prevent their children from developing claims – and how children from privileged families can find their own way.
“I think it is really important to treat everyone and pay all respect when you were lucky enough to have a lot of wealth and many opportunities,” says Rogers.
His most important advice: do not choose friends for status or wealth, but according to character. His father “blown up” this lesson. He now tries to pass on the same thing to his own daughter. “Some people have a natural attraction – they only want to hang out with the chic people with the big titles and a lot of wealth,” he says. “I try to stop them.”
Billionaire advises children to go their own ways
Rogers recommends that children from wealthy families deliberately take a different way than their parents. He chose a career in the financial world while his father was a lawyer.
His daughter also hit his own way. She works at Autodesk and follows her passion for art, design and creativity. “It’s nice that she does her own thing that has nothing to do with me or my relationships or contacts,” says Rogers. “It is based on everything that she built up.”
Lessons about money and quality
When it comes to money, Rogers also gives his daughter’s advice on the way. “I always try to encourage them to be ready to pay a high price if you find a high -quality asset – whether it is a share, a painting or a property,” he says.
It is tempting to always look for bargains. But in the end quality prevails. Rogers is reminiscent of Warren Buffett and his late business partner Charlie Munger: Better “buy wonderful companies that can grow and multiply over time” than to satisfy themselves with so -called “cigar stumbles” – that is, weak investments.
At the age of 67, Rogers looks back on an impressive career. “I love what I do and can hardly wait until the markets open on Monday morning,” he says. He still wants to continue for a few years. Then the billionaire wants to step back a step – to be more coach and mentor and clear the way to the next generation of investors.
Read the original article in English at Business Insider Us.
