Top 5 Books That Inspired Billionaires. Part 3

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Moreover, these books are not just read – they are lived. They shaped the thinking of those who built Google, Binance, Dell, and other companies that changed industries. Each one is not a collection of tips, but principles through which business starts to see itself and the world differently.

“Measure What Matters” by John Doerr
This book is the foundation of the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system on which Google grew. John Doerr, one of the company’s first investors, gave Larry Page the idea that success should not be felt, but measured. Simple logic: if a goal cannot be expressed in numbers, it will not become a reality. This is how Google transformed from a startup into a technology giant with a global mission. Today, OKRs are used by LinkedIn, Spotify, and even charitable foundations.

“The Outsiders” by William Thorndike
Instead of the usual heroes of business literature, Thorndike tells the story of eight leaders who went against Wall Street rules – and won. Among them, Tom Murphy of Capital Cities and Henry Singleton of Teledyne. They didn’t chase trends or make loud statements, but consistently created enormous value for shareholders. Michael Dell called this book one of the most honest and useful about leadership because it shows how real managers make unpopular but strategically correct decisions.

“Alchemy” by Rory Sutherland
A book about how the illogical is not the same as ineffective. The Vice President of Ogilvy shows why intuition can sometimes be stronger than analytics and emotions more accurate than statistics. It’s a manifesto for those working with innovation and marketing. Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, admitted that after reading this book, he started trusting unconventional ideas more and giving room for “crazy” experiments. As Sutherland wrote, progress begins where logic gives way.

“Leonardo da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson
Isaacson creates not just a biography but a study of the thinking of a man who was five centuries ahead of his time. Leonardo did not separate art and science, but saw a bridge between them. This book inspired Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest people in Asia, with the idea of integrating technology, culture, and sustainable development. Studying Leonardo, you start to understand that a true genius doesn’t seek balance – he connects the unconnectable.

“Managing Production” by Andrew Grove
The Intel founder and Silicon Valley legend explains how to turn growth chaos into a system. Grove simply said: “Bad companies die from competition, good ones die from their own inertia.” This book is a handbook on discipline, efficiency, and leadership. Larry Ellison of Oracle called it the “Bible of operational management” because Grove could turn principles into concrete tools that still work today.

These books have one thing in common – they are not about money, but about thinking. The people we call billionaires didn’t just earn – they learned to think systemically, make decisions based on data, not fear absurdity, and see patterns in chaos.

🟠 Save this list. Let these ideas work for you while you build your own.