What do wealthy people do that middle class people fail to do? Two men can live in the same neighborhood, yet one becomes rich and the other doesn’t. Both men are of average intelligence. Both men have the same opportunities. Yet one man lives well, without lack, and the other struggles to make ends meet. The middle class man is in the habit of never getting ahead of his bills. The middle class man seems to have the same information, but does he?
For example, there’s a term in aviation called spatial disorientation. This occurs when a pilot makes an error in the flight path. This slight error throws off the aircraft’s attitude, altitude, or airspeed. It can lead to unintended deviations from the intended flight path.
The middle class man is like a pilot with spatial disorientation. He knows how to fly the plane and thinks he’s doing everything right. But he makes a slight error. Before he realizes it, his finances are way off. He has a hard time providing for his family while his neighbor has become wealthy.
Last week on Methods of Prosperity
Andrew Wilkinson was born in 1986 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He grew up in an affluent neighborhood. It was a financial stretch for his family. Financial constraints and a keen awareness of wealth disparities marked his early life. Andrew developed an entrepreneurial spirit and a disdain for inefficiencies. Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett are major influences. Growing up, his idol was Steve Jobs. Interactions with his friend’s father shaped Andrew’s mindset. His friend’s father was a successful real estate developer. His story of rising to wealth through real estate inspired Andrew. Which began his quest for financial independence and efficiency. Andrew resolved to avoid the money-related conflicts that plagued his own family.
The following is Methods of Prosperity newsletter number 87. It was originally deployed February 13, 2025. As of October 23, 2025, original subscribers have received up to
Methods of Prosperity newsletter is intended to share ideas and build relationships. To become a billionaire, one must first be conditioned to think like a billionaire. To that agenda, this newsletter studies remarkable people in history who demonstrated what to do (and what not to do). Let me know how I can help you out. For more information about the author, please visit seanallenfenn.com/faq.
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Key Lessons:
Your fortune and fate depends on the actions you take.
What you believe about yourself comes to fruition.
Ability to provide keeps resentment outside.
A slight error can send you far off course.
Find problems to solve or desires to meet.
The riches are in the niches.
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Andrew decided to make everyone happy. How? Making money. I know what you’re thinking. Money doesn’t make you happy. One thing is certain. Not having enough of it can make you miserable. Of course, money alone has nothing to do with happiness, or any emotion. Why does lack of it cause so much pain?
Andrew’s parents argued over it. His father believed it was a curse. The “Wilkinson Curse” was to blame for their financial difficulties. It was bad luck. This was his narrative. He believed that was how life is. “Things were hard. There’s no way around that. Just power through,” he said. Eternal optimism and deep, guttural panic fueled his countenance.
What you believe about yourself tends to come to fruition. The lucky man finds more good luck. He lives a charmed life. The unlucky man finds more bad luck. He can never catch a break. The master Jesus put it this way: “To whomever has, more shall be given unto him. He shall have abundance. To whomever has not, even what he does have shall be taken away. (Matt. 13:12)”
It was odd that his father had the right information. He taught Andrew about compound interest. Books such as Rich Dad Poor Dad, From Good to Great, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People were on his shelf. He admired entrepreneurs, introducing Andrew to the wealthiest man in Vancouver one day. He encouraged his son to be entrepreneurial. Andrew earned $40 from starting a lemonade stand. His father asked him, “what’s next?” He taught Andrew the concept of hiring employees to grow his business. His father knew that being an entrepreneur involves delegation. So why didn’t he do something like that? Instead, his father struggled as an architect.
His mother and father had opposite attitudes about money. His mother was meticulous and frugal. His father was the kind of person to pay for a vacation on a credit card and go into debt over liabilities. Spending less than you can afford is easier said than done. Resentment accumulated as much as overdue bills. When a man wants to provide for his family, resentment builds up if he can’t buy conspicuous consumer goods.
It was a routine pattern. Andrew would eavesdrop on his parents arguing about their lack of money. His father had a habit of sneaking out and making a big purchase they couldn’t afford. He did this without telling Andrew’s mother. It was a problem. Until one day, he made a big purchase that changed Andrew’s life. It was a warm Saturday in 2002. He left the house on one of his shopping sprees and came back with an Apple iMac. He paid by credit card.
By that time, Andrew had started his own consulting business of sorts. He was a regular at the local computer store that sold Apple computers (the Apple Store didn’t exist yet). He named his company New Tricks. His tagline? “Teaching old dogs new tricks”. His first customer was an old lady who paid him $20 an hour to teach her how to use her new Mac. He made business cards with a logo that gave him the title of CEO. His elderly client base enjoyed spending time with him. The experience taught him that a business, at its core, is about solving problems for other people. Unlike a job, you can build a business around solving any problem or meeting a desire for someone else. He started seeing opportunities like this everywhere.
After four years, the family moved to Victoria, Canada. It was a downgrade from their affluent neighborhood in Shaughnessy. Which they could no longer afford. Delivery men knocked on his door every day. They delivered new tech products shipped by computer companies for review. At 15 years old, Andrew was operating a website that reviewed these products. It was a niche website named macteens. It was a tech news site which he ran with a few other friends.
Andrew was responsible for the content. He realized that it was possible to receive new products for review. These computer companies would send them their new products for free! They shipped hardware, gadgets, audio equipment, keyboards, the latest mouse, you name it. All in hopes that macteens would review what they shipped. It was free, unlimited tech gear. This website which was ran by a few teen age boys started to gain traction. Wider media sources picked up their stories on the latest tech gear. CNBC and the Boston Globe included. Andrew was at the center of a tech media internet empire.
One summer, when he was 16 years old, Andrew sent an email that would lead him to a life changing event. He was about to meet his idol: Steve Jobs.
To be continued…
I like you,
– Sean Allen Fenn
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