He Was A Con We All Love - Think And Grow Rich Was It All Real - Episode 62

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Hi everyone.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Even if you're a mess, I'm going to show you proof today that manifestation is real

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_00]: in this video.

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Napoleon Hill, an absolute legend behind the awesome book Think and Grow Rich, the self-help

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: guru who helped millions of people learn how to get wealthy.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, what if I told you he was actually a con man in real life?

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: This is a wild story about our beloved Napoleon Hill, a man who scammed his way

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_00]: to the top and yet still managed to write one of the best-selling self-help books

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER_00]: of all times.

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: How's that for irony?

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And yes, the same guy who couldn't hold down a business, who dodged the law and faked

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: friendships with historic figures, wrote books that have helped millions to manifest

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_00]: their goals.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's not only just fascinating, it's very inspiring.

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_00]: At first I was sad about telling this story but then I realized how what I'm about

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_00]: to reveal to you makes his work even more relevant to your own personal law of attraction

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00]: and manifesting efforts.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_00]: This is a different twist on Napoleon Hill, so get ready.

[00:01:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Hi, I'm Kate Wilder and if you're new here, welcome and welcome back if you've

[00:01:05] [SPEAKER_00]: been following my channel.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Before we dive into the facts of Hill's con man activities, do hit that subscribe

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and like buttons and turn on the notification bell so you don't miss an episode.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And also to support my channel so others will find me.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's dive in.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Chapter One.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: The first well-known fact about Napoleon Hill is that he claimed to have personal meetings

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_00]: with some of the biggest names in history, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, President Woodrow

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Wilson.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: But shockingly, none of these meetings were ever verified.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: There are no historic records or documents corroborating meetings with Andrew Carnegie,

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_00]: who was supposedly Hill's mentor and the reason that he started Think and Grow Rich

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and the stories in that book.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: However, no concrete evidence supports their direct relationship.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Not just that though.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Journalist Samuel Crowther, who wrote for the Saturday Evening Post, also exposed

[00:02:02] [SPEAKER_00]: discrepancies in Hill's stories.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Crowther noted that Hill's interviews with people like Edison and Ford were

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_00]: fabrications since neither man ever mentioned Hill or acknowledged any collaboration

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: with him.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And then biographers like David Nassau and journalists like Matt Novak tried to

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_00]: find proof and came up with nothing from what is known out there.

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Now in my own personal research on a couple of my favorite stories from Think and Grow

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Rich, I did find discrepancies from historic public stories from the companies he talked

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: about such as Coca-Cola.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00]: So I kind of found that interesting too.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So I researched further to see what I could find.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Many of Hill's stories, even his self-proclaimed meetings with Woodrow Wilson,

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: have been debunked by historians.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: For example, that same journalist Mark Novak in Gizmodo ran an in-depth

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_00]: investigation in 2016 finding no evidence that Hill had any documented

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: relationship with him.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And Hill claimed to have given advice to the president sitting in on a couple

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: of meetings in the Oval Office.

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_00]: But again, no evidence, no records exist.

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: So that's kind of a good hustle, Napoleon.

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_00]: But hang on for your hat because there's a little more that might lead you to

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: question this.

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Hill's business career wasn't just full of failures, it was downright shady.

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: One of his first forays into business was a scheme involving the Betsy Ross

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: candy company, which was supposed to finance a lumber business.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, you guessed it, Hill took investments but never delivered.

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: No profits, just lawsuits.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_00]: A newspaper, the Kashakten Tribune on April 27th of 1909, reported on this

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: fraudulent activity stating that he was charged with fraud and left town to avoid

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: prosecution.

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, man, we can't make this stuff up, you know?

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm in disbelief over this as well.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_00]: But how about this also?

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Hill's involvement with the Automobile College of Washington ended in scandal

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: when students accused him of misrepresentation.

[00:04:07] [SPEAKER_00]: According to Mental Floss, he fled Washington, D.C.

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_00]: to avoid fraud charges.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And additionally, The Washington Post reported on Hill's multiple business

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: failures during the 1920s and 1930s.

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: And then the Count incident where Hill often referred to himself as Count or

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Colonel titles that he never earned.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Investigative journalist David J.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Schwartz revealed in his book The Magic of Thinking Big that these were

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_00]: titles fabricated to give him an air of authority.

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Business failures, despite preaching success principles, Hill faced numerous

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: bankruptcies and legal troubles.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, Hill's Science of Success course was also criticized by being overly

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00]: simplistic and misleading.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Investigative journalists like Preston Glass in the 1950s raised questions

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_00]: about the authenticity and value of these courses, stating that many of

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Hill's ventures collapsed while leaving investors and students out of money.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_00]: So how did this guy become famous?

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Did he actually copy some of the works from people who came before him who

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: wrote about manifestation, like Wallace Waddles or Florence Scovel Shinn?

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Why do Think and Grow Rich and his other books still sell like hotcakes today?

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Now make a comment below if you have one about this.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Because if Hill was such a fraud, shouldn't he have disappeared into

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_00]: obscurity like, I don't know, many other con men?

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's where it gets interesting and maybe a little mind-boggling.

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Because despite all of that mess, Napoleon Hill's books continue

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_00]: to inspire millions of people.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about it.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Here's a guy who might've lied about everything, failed left and right,

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: but still managed to create a masterpiece that's lasted generations.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: If manifestations or the law of attraction isn't real,

[00:05:59] [SPEAKER_00]: then how do you explain this?

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: How does a man so full of personal contradictions create something so

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_00]: lasting and so impactful?

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Regardless of how badly he managed his own money, what about this?

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe, just maybe, Napoleon Hill's success proves something powerful

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00]: about the principles that he preached.

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, a guy with a sketchy past can still think and grow rich.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Imagine what you can do when you're actually genuine,

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: focused and aligned with your purpose.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_00]: So look, here's a bigger takeaway from all of this.

[00:06:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Hill's personal life might have been full of failures and deceit,

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: but that doesn't take away from the fact that his ideas work.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: His own life in his weird hilarious way proves the power of persistence,

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_00]: belief and manifestation is ironic as that is, right?

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_00]: A con man who still manifested a lasting legacy despite his flaws.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, Hill's teachings resonate because they tapped into universal

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: truths about mindset and perseverance.

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And key principles from thinking grow rich, like first having a desire,

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: the starting point for all achievement, faith, visualization, and a belief in

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_00]: your goals, persistence, overcoming obstacles through determination.

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: These principles can inspire anyone con man or not to pursue their dream.

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, Napoleon Hill might've lied his way to success, but if manifestation

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: principles work for him, just imagine how powerful they can be when applied

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_00]: with real integrity.

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe that's the key takeaway here.

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Manifestation doesn't care who you are, it just works.

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_00]: So think about it.

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_00]: If a man with as many flaws as Hill can leave behind such a powerful

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00]: legacy, then why can't you?

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Sure, he wasn't perfect, but neither are any of us.

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And if we're really honest, maybe his life message

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_00]: makes it even more profound.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_00]: It's like the universe laughing and saying, yeah, manifestation is real,

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_00]: even if you're a mess.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So here's my takeaway for you in this video, if you've got dreams or goals

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_00]: or a vision for your life, don't get caught up in being perfect and feeling

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_00]: like all your manifestation efforts have to be just so perfect.

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Manifestation isn't about being flawless.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_00]: It's about belief, persistence, and showing up.

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And if it worked for Napoleon Hill, well, I'd say you're in a pretty

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_00]: good spot to have it work for you.

[00:08:24] [SPEAKER_00]: I've always learned from the law of success and Think and Grow Rich.

[00:08:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And even though most discredit Napoleon Hill and write them off completely now,

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I choose to believe manifestation works in spite of him being a potential

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: bad actor, even though he was broke many times in his life, he still

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_00]: managed to eke out an amazing legacy.

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what today's stories lesson is that I hope you take from this.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm still a Think and Grow Rich fan, and I still maintain my

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_00]: copy that is highlighted and written up on, and as excited as I've been

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_00]: about many of these principles in this book for since, since I was 20

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_00]: years old or 18 years old.

[00:09:05] [SPEAKER_00]: So I've purchased multiple copies through the years as I'm sure you have.

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you know someone who's a fan of Napoleon Hill, share this video

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_00]: with them because this is still a gold Bible with great insights.

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: In my humble opinion, some might disagree.

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: But I have used principles in this book to manifest dreams and goals in my

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: life and achieve great things.

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And as far as I'm concerned, I'm going to continue to do so not just with

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Hill, but with others that came before him and after him as well, at least

[00:09:36] [SPEAKER_00]: in my manifesting journey.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So I hope you enjoyed this episode.

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_00]: So do hit that subscribe and bell notification, like this video, share

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_00]: it with someone who's a Napoleon Hill fan.

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not over folks, just because Hill had a less than perfect life.

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's say if he can do it, so can you.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Kate Wilder here just to say happy manifesting and join me in the

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_00]: next episode.

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Can't wait to see you then.

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for being here.