Phil Town
Encyclopedia
Philip Bradley Town is an American investor, motivational speaker
, and financial writer.
. He graduated from high school in the 1960s. After four attempts at college, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego
. In 1972, following a stint in the US Army as a Green Beret, Town found himself sleeping in a tent in Flagstaff, Arizona
conducting whitewater rafting trips down the Colorado River
.
. One of the men on that trip told Phil that he could be “doing better than pumping rubber all summer and living on welfare in the off season.” The man was an experienced investor and offered to mentor Phil. With a credit card advance of $1,000, Town began his career in investments and with careful application of what he was learning from his mentor he made his first million in five years. Since that time he has taught more than 500,000 people each year to do the same.
and spirituality
led him to personalize what he had learned from his mentor. His values-based investing philosophy centers around four key principles he calls the four M’s. In 2005, he began his Rule #1 blog where he teaches readers how to invest without compromising their own ethics. In 2006, Random House
released his book Rule #1 through its Crown
imprint. It was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and on Business Week's bestseller list, as well as USA Today
’s list of top business books. Rule #1 is now published in 14 languages. His second book, Payback Time, was released by Random House in March, 2010 and immediately went to #1 on the NY Times best seller list. Payback Time explains the concept of 'Stockpiling' stocks for long term high returns with low risk.
, Colin Powell
and President Jimmy Carter
, and is currently a part of the “Seize the Day
” business conference with Bill O'Reilly
, Laura Bush
, Ben Stein
, Terry Bradshaw
and others. He has appeared on CNBC’s The Millionaire Inside series and is featured on the first and second episodes, “Your Guide to Wealth” and “Your Guide to Retiring Rich” along with David Bach
, Barbara Corcoran
and Loral Langemeier. He is a regular contributor to MSNBC’s show Your Business, and has appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s show Closing Bell.
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, and financial writer.
Before Investing: The 1960s & 1970s
Phil Town was raised in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He graduated from high school in the 1960s. After four attempts at college, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
. In 1972, following a stint in the US Army as a Green Beret, Town found himself sleeping in a tent in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
conducting whitewater rafting trips down the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
.
Transition to Investor: The 1980s
In 1980, he ran a rafting expedition for trustees of the Outward Bound Program. The trip was nearly catastrophic when the boat almost capsized in a rough section of the Colorado RiverColorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. One of the men on that trip told Phil that he could be “doing better than pumping rubber all summer and living on welfare in the off season.” The man was an experienced investor and offered to mentor Phil. With a credit card advance of $1,000, Town began his career in investments and with careful application of what he was learning from his mentor he made his first million in five years. Since that time he has taught more than 500,000 people each year to do the same.
Investment Philosophy
Phil's interest in meditationMeditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
led him to personalize what he had learned from his mentor. His values-based investing philosophy centers around four key principles he calls the four M’s. In 2005, he began his Rule #1 blog where he teaches readers how to invest without compromising their own ethics. In 2006, Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
released his book Rule #1 through its Crown
Crown Publishing Group
-External links:*...
imprint. It was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and on Business Week's bestseller list, as well as USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
’s list of top business books. Rule #1 is now published in 14 languages. His second book, Payback Time, was released by Random House in March, 2010 and immediately went to #1 on the NY Times best seller list. Payback Time explains the concept of 'Stockpiling' stocks for long term high returns with low risk.
Media appearances
Phil Town has appeared with Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
and President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, and is currently a part of the “Seize the Day
Seize the Day Inc.
Seize the Day Inc. is a conservative motivational business seminar company located in Winchester, Nevada. Motivational speakers have included Laura Bush, Bill O'Reilly, Terry Bradshaw, Ben Stein, Phil Town and others. The seminars are held in major arenas in larger U.S. cities, and the events...
” business conference with Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
, Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and others. He has appeared on CNBC’s The Millionaire Inside series and is featured on the first and second episodes, “Your Guide to Wealth” and “Your Guide to Retiring Rich” along with David Bach
David Bach (author)
David L. Bach is an American financial author, television personality, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and founder of . Bach, is best known for his Finish Rich Book Series and Automatic Millionaire Series of motivational financial books under the Finish Rich® Brand. He has written 12 books...
, Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Ann Corcoran is an American businesswoman, investor, speaker, business consultant, syndicated columnist, author, and television personality. As a television personality, she is a "Shark" investor on ABC's Shark Tank.She graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas College with a degree in education...
and Loral Langemeier. He is a regular contributor to MSNBC’s show Your Business, and has appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s show Closing Bell.