How to Get Rich So Fast It Feels Like Cheating

The fastest way to get rich is to copy, yet most people

will not do it because their ego will not let them.

Monish Pabrai, an investor who made $154 million,

did not care about being original.

He shamelessly copied Warren Buffett.

He copied how Buffett spends his day, how he runs his business,

and how he makes every decision, all without ever meeting him.

Pabrai proudly calls himself a shameless cloner.

This concept is simple but widely ignored.

Imagine two gas stations across the street from each other.

One is highly successful because they wipe windshields for free

and check tire pressure, while the other is losing money.

The failing station sees the winning strategy every day

but refuses to copy it out of pride and a desire to be original.

Humans have a tendency that prevents them from adopting good

ideas easily,

even when the solution is right in front of them.

Pabrai’s Discovery

Pabrai’s journey began at an airport when he read about

Warren Buffett making 31% returns a year for over 40 years.

Knowing nothing about investing, he decided to completely

copy Buffett instead of trying to be smarter or adding his own twist.

He read everything Buffett wrote, watched every interview,

and attended his annual meetings for over 20 years.

He even copied Buffett’s daily routine,

reading five to six hours a day and working completely alone.

Years later, Pabrai and a friend paid $650,000 for

a charity lunch with Buffett.

He viewed this as a “guru dakshina”—a gift to a spiritual teacher

upon completing an education.

Buffett had changed his life entirely, and it was all

because Pabrai was willing to leave his ego at the door

and clone shamelessly.

The Ego Trap

Almost nobody clones because people have too much ego.

This ego appears in two ways:

• The Originality Trap: From childhood, we are taught that copying is bad and is considered cheating. However, almost every successful person started by copying. Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, used to walk into competitor stores to take notes on their layouts and shelf arrangements. Successful people care about winning, not about looking original.
• The Half-Measure: Even when people try to copy, they only dip their toes in and give up quickly. True cloning requires a 10,000% commitment.

Cloning does not mean becoming a mindless copycat.

Pabrai cloned from multiple sources—taking investing principles

from Buffett, thinking models from Charlie Munger,

and life decisions from philosophers.

By taking the best from the best and combining them,

he actually became entirely original.

Learning the Rules of the Game

Many people struggle to grow their businesses

or YouTube channels because they try to be original before

understanding the rules of the game.

Beginners often look at successful competitors

and decide to do things differently,

adding elements they think the audience wants instead

of following the proven formula.

The successful creators have already figured out

what works through trial and error.

Just like a beginner barber would never start cutting hair their

own way without first watching and copying a master,

beginners in business should not try to reinvent the wheel.

You must learn and copy first, and only after your hands

understand the craft should you start experimenting.

How to Clone Effectively

To clone successfully, follow these practical steps:

• Find Your Master: Pick the absolute best person or business in your niche. Do not pick five different people and grab a little from each; find the one who has already built what you are trying to build and go all in.
• Study Deeply: Do not just skim the surface or look for a quick summary. Understand how they think and what principles drive their decisions.
• Copy the Boring Parts: Success is not one big, flashy insight. It is a thousand small decisions that stack up over time, like how to handle distractions and protect your time. Clone the entire system, not just the exciting parts.

If you are trying to build something and nothing is working,

ask yourself honestly if you are copying what already works

or if you are trying to be original before mastering the basics.

The winning formula is likely already in front of you.