28-05-2025
Finance guru who predicted crash of 2008 issues warning for U.S. economy
Bestselling financial author Robert Kiyosaki has issued a stark warning that the U.S. is barreling toward an unprecedented economic catastrophe.
Kiyosaki said the next downturn will eclipse that of the Great Depression and make the 2008 crash look minor in comparison - and will even be far worse than anything seen since the 1930s.
On X he wrote: 'This is not just another downturn. The U.S.A. may be heading for a GREATER DEPRESSION.'
The expert predicted the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and wrote Rich Dad Poor Dad in 2002, which it still remains one of the most influential personal finance books of all time.
Kiyosaki cited a dangerous cocktail of record-high credit card debt, ballooning national liabilities, rising unemployment, and shrinking retirement savings as signs that the economy is about to spectacularly unravel.
He wrote: 'In 2025, credit card debt is at all-time highs. US debt is at all-time highs. Unemployment is rising. 401(k)'s are losing.
'This coming Great Depression will cause millions to be poor … and a few who take action may enjoy great wealth and freedom.'
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Americans are now in $1.21 trillion credit card debt - an all-time high, a national debt of $36.22 trillion, and a jobless rate that reached 4.2% in March.
In full: Kiyosaki says the upcoming economic crash will be worse than the Great Depression
For many of those in the U.S. their 401(k)s, once viewed as the backbone of retirement, are now in the red.
Far from a recession, Kiyosaki's prediction is that there will be an economic annihilation and that people should pivot into what he considers the only real shelters left: Bitcoin, gold, and silver.
He wrote: 'For those who take action today, when the crash crashes, those who invest in just one Bitcoin, or some gold, or silver … You may come through this crisis a very rich person.'
Gold is currently trading at around $3,300 per ounce, having blown past the once-daunting $2,000 mark. Silver has also climbed, and Bitcoin, despite its volatility, recently broke $110,000 per coin but Kiyosaki says the real explosion is still yet to come.
The finance expert continued: 'I strongly believe, by 2035, that one Bitcoin will be over $1million. Gold will be $30K and silver $3,000 a coin.'
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, echoed Kiyosaki's sentiment in February and in conversation with CNBC said: 'People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio. When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.'
Kiyosaki, 78, agrees and has been advising Americans to stock up for years.
In October 2023, he warned: 'Gold will soon break through $2,100 and then take off. You will wish you had bought gold below $2,000. Next stop, gold $3,700.'
Financial firms have since introduced easier ways to invest including gold-backed retirement accounts, known as Gold IRAs, which combine the tax advantages of IRAs with the safety of physical bullion.
Kiyosaki has always challenged conventional wisdom even when it comes to the American Dream of home ownership.
Speaking to finance YouTuber Sharan Hegde in September 2023 he said: 'Your house is not an asset.
'If it puts money in my pocket, it's an asset. If my house is taking money from my pocket, it's a liability.'
Instead, he advocates for rental properties - investments that pay you, rather than drain you.
Through crowdfunding platforms like Arrived, even those with limited capital can buy into vetted rental homes for as little as $100 and begin earning income - no landlords, no leaky faucets, no nightmare tenants.
However, Kiyosaki's boldest bet remains on Bitcoin.
In November, he posted: 'Bitcoin will soon break $100,000.'
By early December, his prediction came true and while the digital currency has since fluctuated, his long-term vision remains wildly bullish.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey similarly predicted in May 2024 that Bitcoin would hit at least $1 million by 2030 - and perhaps far beyond.
Crypto platforms such as Gemini, Robinhood, and Coinbase have made buying Bitcoin easier offering regulated, full-reserve exchanges where users can trade dozens of digital assets with peace of mind.
Kiyosaki's economic warnings come at a time of deep political and economic uncertainty. President Trump's sweeping tariffs have thrown global markets into disarray.
Inflation, though somewhat now tamed from its peak is still an issue and interest rates remain high.
