Millennial Millionaire Ep. 100 - Paul Smith

On this episode of Millennial Millionaire, Steven Cohen sits down with Paul Smith—entrepreneur, investor, educator, author, and co-founder of the Art of Wealth Institute. Paul shares how leaving home at 17 with £170, surviving a life-threatening illness, and buying his first property as a teenager shaped more than four decades of learning how wealth is created, protected, and transferred. Paul explains why earning money is not the same as becoming wealthy, how property taught him to use financial leverage, and why his “one for me, one for you” strategy dramatically accelerated his portfolio. He also breaks down the mindset required to ask better questions, buy back your time, build a business that can operate without you, and move from concentration toward a more balanced approach across assets and jurisdictions. The conversation explores the path from the first million to eight and nine figures, compound growth, private equity, how to evaluate wealth advisers, and why fulfillment depends on aligning work with your highest values. Paul closes with the three lessons he would give his younger self: find mentors earlier, remove mental blocks around responsible leverage, and diversify sooner. This conversation is educational and reflects the speakers’ experiences. It is not personalized financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Connect with Paul Smith   Art of Wealth Institute: https://joinaowi.com/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulsmithwealth/   Touchstone Education: https://touchstoneeducation.com/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaulSmithTouchstoneEducation Connect with Steven Cohen   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stevencohen2832/videos   Links: https://linktr.ee/steven_cohen ### Chapter Markers 00:00 – Paul Smith’s Journey From £170 to Wealth 06:18 – Financial, Time, Skill & AI Leverage 13:24 – The “One for Me, One for You” Property Strategy 17:07 – The Difference Between Rich and Wealthy 22:20 – Create, Protect & Transfer Wealth 23:38 – Ask Better Questions and Rewire Your Mindset 28:34 – Buy Back Your Time and Build Beyond Yourself 32:19 – Moving From Six Figures to Nine Figures 34:33 – How to Vet Wealth Advisers 37:59 – Diversifying Assets and Jurisdictions 43:34 – Compound Growth, Private Equity & Earning the Right to Invest 52:30 – Achievement, Fulfillment & Living Your Values 58:13 – The Art of Wealth and the One Million Millionaires Mission 01:03:03 – Three Lessons Paul Would Give His Younger Self