What's the wealth-making secret of the world's billionaires? For investors on the list, it's sticking to a strategy that plays to their inherent strengths. For many of the others, including five of the top 10, it's entrepreneurship.
Oh to be an owner
You know the list: Microsoft's Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Oracle's
But there are many more. EMC
Invest with owners
If you're feeling envious, I don't blame you. Wouldn't it be great if we were all billionaires, unencumbered by the need for money? Of course it would be. But that's not how the world works.
Still, I find it reassuring that, as rich as Gates and Allen are, the bulk of their wealth came from staying invested in the company that brought them to the billionaires' ball. Why? Because anyone with a brokerage account could have enjoyed similar percentage gains.
In fact, many did. So great is the story of Microsoft's ability to generate wealth that it has a name -- the uprising of the so-called "Microsoft millionaires." At least hundreds of them must still exist. Consider this chart. A $1,000 investment in Mr. Softy at the dawn of 1990, four years after his debut on the Nasdaq, would be worth nearly $52,000 today.
Searching for the next Microsoft
That's why Motley Fool Hidden Gems co-advisors Tom Gardner and Bill Mann focus on the stocks of up-and-coming firms in which the managers own a significant stake. Some of their best performers still feature meaningful insider ownership.
Consider edgy clothing retailer Zumiez
Then there's Paxar
So don't envy the billionaire owners. Invest alongside them. They're the ones who really have the best chance to create the next Microsoft, and make you millions in the process. And if you'd like Hidden Gems to help you identify some promising prospects, click here to join the service free for 30 days.
This article was originally published on October 12, 2006. It has been updated.
Fool contributor Tim Beyers owns shares of Oracle. All of his portfolio holdings can be found at Tim's Fool profile. Dell, eBay, and Starbucks are selections of the Stock Advisor service. Dell and Microsoft are Inside Value recommendations. The Motley Fool's disclosure policy always takes ownership.