Libraries Of Leaders: The Billionaire Reading List

One would imagine that billionaires would be too busy raking in the moolah to find time for literary pursuits. As it turns out, business tycoons, like the rest of us, also turn to the pages of a book to find inspiration, motivation or simply engage in the sheer pleasure of reading. On this week’s edition of Libraries of Leaders, we take a look at the libraries of three highly successful entrepreneurs. Here is what Donald Trump, Peter Thiel, and Richard Branson read and recommend.

1. Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the Republican Party’s candidate in the U.S. presidential elections. With an estimated personal fortune of $3.7 billion, he is tied at the 156th place in Forbes magazine's annual wealth competition for 2016, along with four others. The outspoken 70-year-old is also the co-author of the international bestseller The Art of The Deal. Here are some of his favourite books, according to news and opinion website U.S. News.

1. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

Machiavelli is recognised as the father of modern political theory. This 16th century treatise by the Italian diplomat dwells on all aspects of power – how to attain it, hold on to it, and perpetuate it. The book is widely regarded as a classic despite some radical views, including the justification of the use of force to hold on to power.

2. On China by Henry Kissinger

Kissinger draws on his vast experience in politics – which included stints as U.S. Secretary of State, and the national security advisor to the U.S. president – to lucidly explain the evolution of Chinese diplomacy, and the key events that shaped it into its current form. He draws on historical documents and conversations with several Chinese policymakers to make the book an insightful and riveting read.

3. Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein

A collection of essays, letters, and speeches by one of the most intelligent men to walk the planet, the book explores issues ranging from the theory of relativity to religion to human rights.

2. Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel is a German-American enterprenuer probably best known as the co-founder of leading online payment interface PayPal, and Facebook’s first outside investor. He is an out-and-out Trump supporter, and is the 246th richest man in the world, with a estimated personal fortune of $2.7 billion in 2016, according to Forbes magazine. He shared a few books that he enjoys reading, with the Wall Street Journal, and the American news magazine, The Week.

1. 100 Plus by Sonia Arrison

The book proposes that in the very near future, people living to be a 100 years old will become the norm rather than the exception. It explores cutting-edge advances in technology and innovation that will enhance longevity. The book also reflects on the social and economic impact of increased longevity.

2. New Atlantis by Francis Bacon

First published in 1627, the novel envisions a utopian society where citizens are morally upright, equal, and inclusive. Advances in science and technology are the major factors that lead to the evolution of this fictional society. Thiel thinks of Bacon as a visionary for conceptualising, almost 400 years ago, the things that we now take for granted, the entrepreneur told The Week.

3. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler And Stalin by Timothy Snyder

At the heart of the book lie the genocides committed by Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler in the years preceding, during and following World War II. Painstakingly researched, the book, Thiel said, is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the single biggest tragedy in modern history.

3. Richard Branson

Richard Branson is the charismatic founder of the Virgin Group which owns more than 400 companies globally. Bloomberg pegged his fortune at $5.6 billion as of April 2016. The billionaire shared some of his favourite reads in his book Screw It, Let’s Do It and on his personal page on the Virgin Group’s website. Here are some of his picks.

1. Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege by Antony Beevor

The book details the events leading up to one of the most telling and decisive battles of World War II, as well as the actual siege of the Russian city. The critically-acclaimed narrative history transpired after painstaking research, interviewing survivors and wading through realms of Soviet and German archives. Many historians consider this battle as the turning point of World War II.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

A river journey undertaken by a rebellious teenager Huckleberry Finn and an escaped slave Jim serves as a platform for Twain to comment on the hypocrisy and duplicity of American society. The story is fast-paced and humorous, full of vivid, larger-than-life characters.

3. Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl

A collection of 16 funny, sometimes slightly naughty, sometimes frightening stories, the book is riot of colourful characters ranging from a wine connoisseur who enjoys a guessing game, to imaginative philanderers, to a garden sculpture that magically transforms into an instrument of revenge.