Robert Kiyosaki is once again warning investors that holding too much cash could be a losing strategy after US national debt crossed $40 trillion for the first time.
The Rich Dad Poor Dad author warned just days earlier that the milestone was approaching, and asked his followers on X what they were doing to protect themselves. He argued that “savers of cash are the biggest losers.”
Treasury data later showed total public debt outstanding reaching $40.047 trillion on Aug. 18, up from $39.987 trillion a day earlier. Of that total, about $32.27 trillion was debt held by the public, while roughly $7.78 trillion represented intragovernmental holdings.
Kiyosaki’s criticism intensified after the Treasury said it would at least double the size of certain long-dated bond buybacks, lifting the maximum from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation beginning Sept. 9. He described the move as another form of quantitative easing and accused policymakers of “printing more fake $.”
That characterization is not technically correct. Treasury says the operations are intended to improve liquidity in less-traded portions of the government bond market. Quantitative easing, by contrast, is conducted by the Federal Reserve and typically expands the central bank’s balance sheet.
Still, Kiyosaki’s concerns arrive as Washington's debt-service burden becomes extremely difficult to ignore.
The Congressional Budget Office expects net federal interest costs to exceed $1 trillion in fiscal 2026 and climb to $2.1 trillion by 2036. It also projects debt held by the public to rise from 101% of GDP this year to 120% by 2036.
Kiyosaki Backs Gold, Silver, Bitcoin and Real Estate
Kiyosaki argues that investors should favor scarce or income-producing assets rather than relying heavily on cash. His preferred list includes gold, silver, Bitcoin and selected real estate.
He has been particularly bullish on silver, calling it his “best choice” for August 2026. He specifically pointed out forecasts from Jim Rickards for $200 silver and $10,000 gold.
The metals have already enjoyed a powerful run. Spot gold was trading around $4,619 an ounce on Aug. 27, while silver stood near $68.88. Bitcoin was trading close to $78,600.
BTC’s price action over the past 6 months (Source: CoinCodex)
But with US debt now above $40 trillion, inflation elevated and federal interest expenses rising, Kiyosaki’s warning taps into a much bigger investor question: how much cash is too much when its purchasing power keeps eroding?
