Founding father Benjamin Franklin still offers inspiration three centuries after his birth for those seeking to be healthy, wealthy and wise.
“Benjamin Franklin was the first rags-to-riches story in the U.S.,” Jo Anne Skousen, co-editor of “The Compleated Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin,” told an audience of more than 50 job- seekers and Franklin fans gathered Tuesday at the Post-News Job Fair in downtown Denver.
Franklin, born of modest means, left behind an estate worth $150,000, which in inflation-adjusted dollars would rank him among the 100 wealthiest Americans, Skousen said. Tuesday was the 300th anniversary of his birth.
Among the tips to prosperity that Skousen offered from Franklin’s prolific writings:
“A penny saved is a penny earned.” Make saving 10 percent of income a priority, and set aside money through automatic savings plans.
“No revenue is sufficient without economy.” Know where your money goes. Track spending closely, and dedicate any increases in income to savings, not to a higher lifestyle. Always spend less than you earn.
“Genius without education is like silver in a mine.” Get an education, and make learning a lifelong pursuit. Franklin is credited with inventing bifocal glasses, the glass armonica and the Franklin stove, and was an avid scientist.
“Drive thy business. Let it not drive thee.” Franklin retired at age 42 after building a successful publishing empire. A career can make you comfortable, but owning a successful business builds wealth. And Franklin gave back. His riches allowed him to work as a public servant and diplomat, Skousen said.
Skousen, who teaches American literature at Mercy College in New York, has co-authored more than 25 books with her husband, Mark. A schedule conflict kept Mark, an economist and descendant of Franklin, from coming to Denver.
Staff writer Aldo Svaldi can be reached at 303-820-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com.
