Self-made billionaire says Stoic philosophy key to success
Share this @internewscast.com

Robert Rosenkranz is a self-made billionaire. His key to success: stoic philosophy.

In his latest release, “The Stoic Capitalist: Guidance for the Uncommonly Driven,” Rosenkranz reveals how the age-old philosophies of figures like Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius significantly contributed to his achievements — and can do the same for you.

“In essence, this book challenges much of modern-day culture,” Rosenkranz shared with The Post. “It emphasizes self-reliance, full accountability for your life, rejecting the victim mindset, and letting go of worries about the uncontrollable.”

Set to be released on May 6th, the book offers a blend of memoir and ancient insights. At 82, Rosenkranz is a self-made billionaire with significant influence in private equity, multi-strategy hedge funds, and the insurance sector.

He retired as CEO of Delphi Financial Group in 2018, where he grew the company’s worth 100-fold.

“This is a book for anybody who aspires to live a life that gets them the distance from where they were as a child,” Rosenkranz, who grew up in a one bedroom ground floor apartment in Manhattan with his parents, said. “These are ideas you can use to realize your childhood dreams.”

He was inspired to write the book because his nieces and nephews wanted to record interviews with him about his life, but Rosenkranz, 82, insists this book isn’t an exercise in self-aggrandizing. 

“This project wasn’t just celebrating myself,” he said. “I was really trying to do something useful to give people some ideas that they could use to thrive in their own lives, which is why I framed it all in terms of cognitive theory and stoic philosophy.”

The book is spliced up into short chapters that follow his life from childhood to the present day, and include topics like getting rich slowly, how to get angry, and death and taxes.

“You could read any chapter, and they more or less stand on their own,” he said. “I just don’t feel like the Stoic principles come alive unless you see how they can be applied to someone’s life.”

Michael Bloomberg dubbed the book “an inspiring story of a life well lived.”

“I think of myself as a natural born stoic,” Rosenkranz writes. “The habits often that helped me cope as a child, and helped me succeed as an adult, echo in the philosophical insights of the Stoics.”

He says ancient Greek philosophers taught him the mastery of his own emotions.

“Stoics use reason to regulate emotions,” Rosenkranz said. “We all react emotionally. We’re not trying to deny that or suppress emotions, but it’s your responsibility to decide whether acting on emotion will serve your interests or not.”

Rosenkranz, who is Jewish, was a summa cum laude graduate of Yale’s class of 1962. He says he experienced antisemitism on campus and was told he could only work for Jewish firms upon graduation. Nonetheless, in true stoic fashion, he entitled a chapter “You Face Prejudice: So What?.”

“There were very truncated opportunities for Jewish kids when I was growing up,” he said. “I just thought this is the way the world works, and I’ve got to figure out how to adapt to it, and I think that’s just simply a much more constructive approach than sitting around criticizing the way the world works.”

In his book, Rosenkranz also shares many of his insights from decades in the business world, from how to nail an interview, to how to build wealth, to how to negotiate.

“Negotiation is a problem for two people to solve, it’s not a game for one person to win,” he explained. “It’s a creative process where you’re both trying to come up with a solution that will leave you each feeling better off.”

But he’s sure to consistently litter Stoic insights throughout, like accepting impermanence as a fact of life and learning the value of time.

“Time is our most valuable resource, but it’s so easy to fritter away your time if you’re not being mindful of it,” he said. “You can make more money, but you can’t make more time.”

Anyone who understands that insight, Rosenkranz argues, is liberated to live a life well lived.

“The Stoic concept of freedom is not license to do whatever you like, but self-possession of learning how to value and experience the fullness of time,” he writes. “Being busy is the enemy of being thoughtful.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
New York City Council Member Chi Ossé thrown to ground and arrested

Video Captures Arrest of NYC Councilman Chi Ossé During Eviction Protest, Allied with Mamdani

NYC Council Member Chi Ossé arrested in Brooklyn Footage has emerged showing…
NASA nuclear engineer found dead in burned Tesla after vanishing from his Alabama home last year

Shocking Mystery Unveiled: Missing NASA Engineer Found Dead in Burned Tesla – A Deep Dive into the Alabama Disappearance

‘Sinister’ links suspected in mysterious deaths of scientists James Comer, the Chair…
Gunman arrested more than 30 years after shooting bound couple in front of their 3-year-old son in NYC apartment: feds

Decades-Old NYC Cold Case Solved: Gunman Arrested for 1980s Double Shooting in Front of Child

After more than three decades, justice has caught up with the gunman…
Trump is considering major expansion of refugee program for white South Africans

Trump Weighs Significant Expansion of Refugee Program for White South Africans

WASHINGTON, April 23 — The Trump administration is weighing a significant increase…
Man who pleaded guilty to raping 12-year-old relative is illegal immigrant from Honduras, DHS says

Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Assaulting 12-Year-Old Relative, DHS Reports

Illegal immigrant accused of groping high school girls in Virginia sparks outrage…
Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act: SNAP benefits don't pay for rotisserie chicken, but a bipartisan bill might change that

New Bill Aims to Make Rotisserie Chicken Eligible for SNAP Benefits

A group of bipartisan U.S. senators is advocating for government food assistance…
Prince Harry makes surprise visit in Ukraine in show of support during war

Prince Harry’s Unexpected Visit to Ukraine: A Heartfelt Show of Support Amid Conflict

In a surprise move, Prince Harry paid a visit to Ukraine’s capital,…
Suspect accused of hurling chainsaw at deputies during chaotic stolen car chase caught on video

Wild Pursuit: Suspect Throws Chainsaw at Deputies in Stolen Car Chase Caught on Video

A dramatic police chase unfolded in Washington state, escalating to a dangerous…
Florida killer Richard Knight's execution date set for murdering two including child

Florida Sets Execution Date for Richard Knight: Convicted Murderer of Two, Including Child

A man from Florida is set to face execution next month following…
How SPLC's $520,000-per-year CEO helped turn civil rights group into a 'partisan smear machine'

Unmasking the Transformation: How SPLC’s High-Paid CEO Shifted Focus from Civil Rights to Controversial Partisanship

Margaret Huang, the former leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC),…
Hugh Jackman takes on new role for innovative charity

Hugh Jackman Joins Groundbreaking Charity Initiative in Exciting New Role

Hugh Jackman, renowned for his leading roles in blockbuster films such as…
Trump Orders Navy to Shoot Small Boats Dropping Mines in Strait of Hormuz

President Trump Directs Navy to Target Vessels Planting Mines in the Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a directive to the U.S. Navy,…