Wealth Dynamics

Wealth Dynamics is a psychometric self-help system developed by Roger Hamilton. Designed to help entrepreneurs achieve maximum success by identifying and utilizing one of eight wealth profiles, Wealth Dynamics is detailed extensively in Hamilton's 2006 book Your Life Your Legacy: An Entrepreneur Guide to Finding Your Flow. Other books advocating the Wealth Dynamics model include John Williams' Screw Work Let's Play, and Bob Urichuck's Disciplined for Life.

Hamilton is head of the social enterprise network XL Group, founded in 2001 in Singapore. Other organizations utilizing the system include The Money Gym and Humanity Unites Brilliance.

Basic theory
Wealth Dynamics is based on the premise that different personality types best accumulate wealth in different ways. Hamilton contends that the best way to generate wealth is for one to identify and exploit his or her own natural tendencies. Also can be referred to as Tao means a road, path, way; and hence, the way in which one does something; method, doctrine, principle. See also Tao Te Ching interpretation Knowledge and Humility Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self requires strength; He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of will power. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present. (chap. 33, tr. Feng and English) The Tao Te Ching praises self-gained knowledge with emphasis on that knowledge being gained with humility.

Hamilton's eight "Wealth Profiles" are based on the works of Carl Jung, especially Psychological Types. In particular the psychological traits of intuitive thinking, sensory thinking and extraversion and introversion are analyzed. Profiles are plotted on an axis of introvert vs. extrovert ("Steel" vs. "Blaze") intersecting on an axis of creative vs. methodical ("Dynamo" vs. "Tempo"). The results consist of three profiles of introverts, three profiles of extroverts, and two profiles which can consist of either introverts or extroverts.

Wealth profiles in Wealth Dynamics


The following are brief descriptions of the eight Wealth Profiles in Wealth Dynamics. An individual can determine his or her profile, as well as secondary profiles, through a 25-question multiple choice test developed by Hamilton.

The Mechanic
The Mechanic is a highly intuitive and innovative individual who works with minimal input from others. Mechanics are perfectionists who are rarely satisfied with any project until it has been revised multiple times. Because Mechanics tend to be introverts and also place little emphasis on what others think of them, they often display little interest in keeping up appearances of wealth or power to impress others. Examples of Mechanics include Henry Ford, Ray Kroc, Sam Walton, Ingvar Kamprad and Michael Dell.

The Accumulator
Accumulators are introverts who live by the credo "buy and hold." Like Mechanics they have little regard for the trappings of fame and power, but they also tend to be methodical whereas Mechanics are creative. These are people who have a plan and quietly stick to it. Examples of the Accumulator profile include Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, Li Ka-shing, Sanford I. Weill and Paul Allen.

The Lord
Lords are introverts who rely on number-crunching. Like Accumulators they are not likely to take risks, especially after they've found their niche in business. Like Mechanics, Lords are not big on people skills. They do care about people and do consider the needs of other. They just need a few tips in this area and the best way to make their views known so they can be fully understood. It's all about the numbers. Examples of Lords include Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J. Paul Getty, Lakshmi Mittal and Sergey Brin.

The Star
Like Mechanics, Stars are highly intuitive and innovative people. However unlike Mechanics, Stars strongly tend to be extroverts and place strong emphasis on selling themselves as a brand. According to Hamilton, Stars include Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Amitabh Bachchan and Paul Newman.

The Deal Maker
Deal Makers are the extroverted counterparts of Accumulators. While they tend to be methodical like Accumulators, like Stars they have no problem with marketing themselves as a brand unto themselves. Examples of Deal Makers cited by Hamilton include Donald Trump, David Geffen, Masayoshi Son, Henry Kravis and Rupert Murdoch.

The Supporter
Supporters are the opposite of Lords. People skills are their most important asset. They are team leaders and inspire others to perform at a higher level to further their own goals. Supporters include Jack Welch, Michael Eisner, Steve Case and Meg Whitman.

Other profiles
Hamilton includes two more profiles which can comprise of both introverts and extroverts.

The Creator
Hamilton's Creator profile can be considered a hybrid of the Mechanic and the Star. They are highly intuitive and innovative, but can be either introverts, extroverts or both. Examples of Creators as identified by Hamilton include Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson.

The Trader
As Creator is the hybrid profile of the Mechanic and Star, Hamilton's Trader is the hybrid of the Accumulator and Deal Maker. Traders are methodical, but can't be classified as either straight introverts or extroverts. Examples of Traders include George Soros, Peter Lynch, John Templeton and Jim Rogers.