How to build wealth like the 1% (on a normal income)
If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually going on behind the scenes of the 1%, beyond the headlines, Instagram posts, and glossy business profiles, this episode pulls back the curtain.
Because beneath the public image of wealth is usually a highly deliberate money strategy. And it doesn’t have to be exclusive to the ultra-rich.
In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook speaks with Andrew Clements, a private wealth and succession lawyer who works with some of New Zealand’s wealthiest families. Andrew spends his days helping high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients build wealth, protect it, and stop it being blown up by one bad decision, whether that’s an investment mistake, poor structure, or family conflict.
What he’s learned may surprise you.
We talk about:
How wealthy families think in decades, not years
Why protecting money often matters more than chasing returns
The “guardrails” the wealthy put around their money, and their families
Why the rich often sell when others are rushing in
The risks that don’t show up on balance sheets, including family and succession risk
How downturns are treated as opportunity, not panic
And which wealth strategies are realistic for everyday NZers to copy
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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
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Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:13 Meet Andrew Clements: private wealth and succession lawyer
00:03:39 Money talks, but wealth whispers
00:04:25 Values over dollars: what wealthy families actually prioritize
00:08:19 The long game: how the wealthy build and protect assets
00:09:44 The Lithuanian entrepreneur who didn't get greedy
00:12:38 Investing in yourself: the best investment you can make
00:18:43 Philosophy breeds methodology: finding advisors who understand you
00:22:12 How the wealthy invest differently: shares over property
00:27:24 Impact investing: making money and making a difference
00:29:22 Family risk: how inheritance can become poison
00:33:16 Beating the three-generation curse
00:37:20 The hundred dollar note on the dinner table
00:42:13 Can average people become wealthy? Yes, here's how
00:44:39 Outro
