Felix Dennis was an anomaly. He was a multi-millionaire who didn't care if you liked him, a poet who loved trashy magazines, and a man who genuinely believed that becoming wealthy was a "hideous" pursuit that would probably ruin your life. Yet, his book How to Get Rich remains perhaps the most honest, brutal, and effective manual ever written on the subject.
Most business books are written by people who want to sell you a course. Dennis didn't need your money. He had hundreds of millions of pounds from founding Maxim, Computer Shopper, and Week. When he wrote how to get rich by Felix Dennis, he wasn't looking for a "brand build." He was looking to tell the truth. It’s messy. It’s aggressive. And honestly, it’s a bit terrifying.
The Great Barrier: Why You Aren't Rich Yet
Dennis identifies the primary obstacle to wealth as "The Great Barrier." It isn't lack of capital. It isn't a lack of ideas. It’s fear. Most people are terrified of looking like an idiot. They are scared of what their neighbors think. They are scared of the "laughter in the dark" when a venture fails.
Becoming rich requires a level of monomania that most sane people find repulsive. Dennis argues that if you have a "great" job, you're probably doomed. Why? Because you have something to lose. The "golden handcuffs" of a comfortable salary are the greatest enemy of true wealth. You'll never take the necessary risks because the downside—losing the BMW and the nice apartment—is too high. To get rich, you have to be willing to fail. Not "Silicon Valley fail" where you get another VC check, but "losing your house" fail.
Most people want the prize without the process. They want the private jet, but they don't want the years of 18-hour days, the lawsuits, the stress-induced ulcers, and the inevitable isolation. Dennis is very clear: if you aren't prepared to be a "social pariah" for a few years, just stay in your job. It’s safer.
Ownership is the Only Game in Town
If you take nothing else from the philosophy of how to get rich by Felix Dennis, take this: Ownership is everything. You will never get rich selling your time. You get rich by owning assets. Specifically, assets that can grow without you being in the room. Dennis suggests that even a 10% stake in a massive success is worth infinitely more than being the CEO of a company you don't own.
He tells a story about his early days in the magazine business. He didn't just want to be an editor; he wanted to own the masthead. When you own the equity, you own the future value. When you work for a salary, you are just a "highly paid slave." Harsh? Maybe. But look at the math. A salary is taxed at the highest rates. Capital gains? Not so much.
Dennis suggests a "search and destroy" mission for ownership. Never give up equity unless you absolutely have to. He famously regretted the times he let partners in too early or too cheaply. If you're doing the work, you should own the dirt.
The Myth of the "Great Idea"
Everyone thinks they need a "killer app" or a revolutionary invention. Dennis calls BS on this. He didn't invent magazines. He just executed better than the "suits" at the big publishing houses.
- Execution is 95% of the battle.
- Ideas are "ten a penny."
- The world is full of brilliant paupers.
- The rich are often mediocre people who just worked harder on a "good enough" idea.
You don't need to be a genius. You need to be a dog with a bone. You find a niche—ideally one that is "unfashionable" or ignored by the big players—and you dig in. Dennis loved the "unsexy" parts of the business. While others were trying to be "artistically significant," he was focused on newsstand distribution and circulation numbers. He followed the money, not the ego.
The Art of the Negotiation
Felix Dennis was a predator in the boardroom. He viewed negotiation as a game of psychological warfare. His advice? Never, ever make the first move. Let the other side name a price. Why? Because they might name a number much better than you expected, or they might reveal their hand.
He also emphasizes the power of "walking away." Most people lose negotiations because they need the deal to happen. Dennis didn't care. If the terms were bad, he’d walk. Even if he desperately wanted the deal, he’d pretend he didn't.
"The one who cares the least, wins."
This applies to hiring, firing, and buying companies. If you can't walk away from the table, you aren't negotiating; you're begging. It sounds cold, but in the world of high-stakes business, it’s the only way to survive.
Why You Should Never Listen to Your Friends
Your friends love you. They want you to be happy. Therefore, they will give you the worst business advice possible. They will tell you to "be careful." They will remind you that "most businesses fail."
Dennis argues that you should ignore almost everyone. Most people have a "poverty mindset." They see the world as a zero-sum game. If you win, someone else loses. Dennis saw the world as a place of infinite opportunity, but only for those with the "will" to grab it.
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He was often surrounded by "yes men" later in life, but in the beginning, he was surrounded by skeptics. He used that skepticism as fuel. If people told him a magazine wouldn't sell, he’d double the print run. It wasn't just arrogance; it was a deep-seated belief in his own ability to pivot and fix things on the fly.
The Terrible Price of Wealth
This is the part of how to get rich by Felix Dennis that most people skim over. Dennis is brutally honest about the cost. He spent millions on drugs, women, and "nonsense." He admitted that becoming rich made him a worse person for a long time. It made him paranoid. It made him lonely.
He writes about the "glass cage." Once you reach a certain level of wealth, you can't really relate to your old friends anymore. Money changes the power dynamic in every relationship. You start wondering if people like you for you, or for your checkbook. Hint: It’s usually the checkbook.
He doesn't say this to discourage you, but to warn you. If you think money will fix your internal problems, you're wrong. Money is a magnifier. If you're a jerk, money makes you a massive jerk. If you're unhappy, money just lets you be unhappy in a more expensive house.
Focus, Focus, Focus
If there is one "secret" in the book, it's the power of focus. Dennis would pick one goal—say, launching Maxim in the US—and ignore everything else. He wouldn't take meetings about other projects. He wouldn't answer emails about "opportunities."
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He lived by the "80/20 rule" before it was a cliché. He knew that 80% of his results came from 20% of his effort. He focused all his energy on that 20%. He was a "professional tunneler." He’d put his head down and not look up until the task was done.
Most people are "dabblers." They try a bit of this, a bit of that. They have five side hustles. Dennis would tell you to quit four of them today and pour everything into the one that actually has a chance of making you a millionaire.
Actionable Steps: The Felix Dennis Way
Reading the book isn't enough. You have to actually do something. Here is how you apply the Dennis philosophy right now:
- Identify Your "Great Barrier": What are you actually afraid of? Write it down. Is it the fear of being broke, or the fear of your brother-in-law laughing at you? Usually, it's the latter. Realize that his opinion doesn't pay your bills.
- Audit Your Ownership: Look at your income. What percentage of it comes from something you own? If it's 0%, you are in the "slave" category. Your first goal is to create or buy an asset—even a tiny one—that you own 100%.
- The "Walk Away" Test: The next time you have a minor negotiation (even just buying a used car or a piece of furniture), practice walking away. Feel the power of not needing the deal. It’s a muscle you have to build.
- Cut the "Consultants": Stop asking your "safe" friends for advice on your "unsafe" ideas. Seek out people who have actually done what you want to do. If you want to get rich, stop talking to people who are comfortable being middle-class.
- Pick One Niche: Don't try to "disrupt the tech industry." Find a small, boring, profitable niche. Maybe it's specialized plumbing parts. Maybe it's a very specific type of B2B newsletter. Become the king of that tiny hill first.
Dennis died in 2014. He left behind a massive fortune, a lot of trees (he planted millions of them), and a legacy of being one of the most interesting "self-made" men in history. He didn't sugarcoat the journey. He told you it would be hard, lonely, and potentially soul-crushing. But he also showed that for those with the "stomach for the fight," it is absolutely possible.
The question isn't whether the map works. The map is right there in the pages of his book. The question is whether you have the nerve to follow it. Most won't. Will you?