My grandfather was a fortunate man all his life. He enjoyed a lot of success in his personal life, in business, and in every aspect. We didn't talk a whole lot, but when he started feeling sick and we knew the end was coming, he opened up quite a bit.

One day I went to visit him and he motioned for me to come closer. I moved closer to his bed, the bed we both probably knew that would be his deathbed. He had a stern look on his face, and he gave a gravelly whisper: "Son, do you want to know the secret to good fortune?"

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I knew I was only seconds away from learning whatever combination of wisdom, luck and skill that he had worked on his whole life.

He told me: "If you want to be successful, first make a billion dollars."

Since then, I've noticed he was absolutely correct. Ever notice how the world itself seems to bend to the will of billionaires? From that day on, I was a changed man and I vowed to get that billion dollars for myself.