Why Successful People Read

One habit shared by the world’s most successful people is a consistent reading practice. Books offer depth and insight that other media often can’t match, giving readers a lasting edge in knowledge and perspective. From Warren Buffett to Oprah Winfrey, many influential figures credit reading as a cornerstone of their success. 

In this post, we explore why cultivating a reading habit can be a game-changer in your own life.

Bill Gates

Founder of Microsoft and worth over $108 billion, Bill Gates is not only a tech visionary but also a renowned philanthropist.

In a blog post, Gates wrote:

“Although I’m lucky that I get to meet with a lot of interesting people and visit fascinating places through my work, I still think books are the best way to explore new topics that interest you.”

His father recalled, “Just about every kind of book interested him – encyclopedias, science fiction, you name it. I was thrilled that my child was such an avid reader, but he read so much that Bill’s mother and I had to institute a rule: no books at the dinner table.”

Gates still reads over 50 books a year, roughly one per week. During his career, he famously took week-long retreats called “Think Weeks,” spending the time isolated in a cabin solely focused on reading and learning.

Beyond his personal development, Gates has had a profound impact through the Gates Foundation, funding initiatives in global health, education, and poverty reduction, helping millions of people worldwide.

Oprah Winfrey

Host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah is one of the richest self-made women in the world and the first Black female billionaire in history, currently worth over $3.2 billion.

Born in poverty and raised on government welfare in a poor urban neighborhood, Oprah credits books with transforming her life. In her acceptance speech for the 2004 UN Humanitarian Awards, she said:

“Books allowed me to see a world beyond the front porch of my grandmother’s shotgun house. They gave me the power to see possibilities beyond what was allowed at the time.” She described them as her “path to personal freedom.”

Oprah also runs Oprah’s Book Club, the #1 book club in the world, where she selects one book a month. Many titles have become bestsellers simply because she recommended them.

Beyond reading, Oprah is also a dedicated philanthropist. Through the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, she has funded education initiatives, built schools in underserved communities, and supported programs that empower women and children globally.

Warren Buffet

Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett is currently worth over $154 billion and is a legend in the investment world.

When beginning his career, Buffett reportedly read 600–1,000 pages daily, averaging 5-6 hours per day. Even today, he spends roughly 80% of his day reading. During a guest lecture, students asked Buffet how to prepare for an investment career. He replied:

“Read 500 pages every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”

Buffet has pledged that “more than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy during my lifetime or at death.” He has gotten other acquaintances to join The Giving Pledge as well, primarily through the Gates Foundation.

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is an avid reader who has often highlighted the transformative power of books. She emphasizes reading for both personal growth and understanding others’ experiences, sharing book recommendations regularly and inspiring millions to engage with literature.

Michelle reads widely, from memoirs to contemporary fiction, using books to explore complex social issues, history, and culture. Her reading habit also informed her own writing of the bestselling memoir Becoming.

Through the Reach Higher Initiative and other philanthropic efforts, Michelle Obama promotes education, literacy, and college access for young people, helping empower the next generation through knowledge and learning.

Charlie Munger

Former Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger was worth over $2.6 billion before his passing, and was Warren Buffett’s closest partner, right-hand man, and best friend since childhood.

On the importance of reading, Munger has said:

“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn’t read all the time – none, zero. You’d be amazed at how much Warren reads – and at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I’m a book with a couple of legs sticking out.”

“I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up, and boy does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you.”

Munger always keeps a book or newspaper with him, using every spare moment – like traffic delays – to read and expand his knowledge.

Munger has contributed millions to educational institutions, including funding scholarships, libraries, and academic programs, aiming to support intellectual growth for future generations.

Stephen King

Stephen King, the prolific author behind classics like The Shining and It, is worth $450 million and credits his incredible productivity and creativity to his lifelong reading habit. He has famously said,

“I take a book with me everywhere I go, and find there are all sorts of opportunities to dip in. The trick is to teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows. Waiting rooms were made for books – of course! But so are theater lobbies before the show, long and boring checkout lines, and everyone’s favorite, the john. You can even read while you’re driving, thanks to the audiobook revolution. Of the books I read each year, anywhere from six to a dozen are on tape.”

King reads widely across genres, from horror and fantasy to history and nonfiction, allowing him to draw inspiration and learn storytelling techniques from diverse sources.Beyond writing, King supports numerous causes through his Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, funding libraries, education, and programs that foster literacy and creative expression for young people.

Divyank Turakhia

Founder of Media.net, BigRock, LogicBoxes, ResellerClub, Webhosting.info, and several other online companies, Divyank Turakhia is worth over $3.4 billion and is one of India’s youngest billionaires, achieving this milestone in his early 30s.

Turakhia emphasizes the importance of continual learning, saying:

“It is an ongoing process – you need to keep learning. If learning is not there, then it is the end of life. You have to keep learning in order to keep evolving, and if you stop learning, that’s boring.” He notes that to truly specialize in a field, time and focused effort are essential, and there is no better way to do this than through reading.

Divyank reads around 800-1,000 hours a year, averaging more than two hours a day, and stresses the importance of patience in achieving long-term success.

Beyond business, Turakhia supports initiatives that promote digital literacy and technology education in underserved communities, helping young people gain the skills needed to succeed in the modern digital economy.

Mark Cuban

Former owner of the Dallas Mavericks and 2929 Entertainment, Mark Cuban is worth over $6 billion. He is a veteran investor across industries including television, healthcare, sports, and nutrition, and one of the “sharks” on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Cuban told CNBC, “I read everything I can. I don’t care what the source is,” typically at least three hours a day. On a recent podcast, he emphasized the importance of a daily habit, saying:

“Somebody 40 and over, even 30 and over, if you’re not reading, you’re f–ed… because you’re not expanding your mind. I tell my kids… ‘Somebody who doesn’t read lives one life, somebody who reads an unlimited number of lives.’”