What Really Drives Wealth? (2): Unveiling the True Nature of Capital (International Edition)

By Jules NARTEY TOKOLI

Firstly, launching a business requires both talent and expertise. Once these elements are applied effectively, they demonstrate wisdom.

Therefore, coming up with the concept of selling a product despite not having funds, yet leveraging one’s integrity to acquire the goods, sell them, and repay later demonstrates true acumen. This intelligence and its elements constitute genuine, organic wealth—real capital indeed!

Each time you go through this process and continue to enhance that reputation, you're essentially accumulating wealth. When this foundation is solidified, the individual you interact with can easily endorse you and even provide guarantees on your behalf for another vendor, thereby helping to grow your enterprise.

By doing this, you can establish and operate your enterprise without relying on electronic currency. Hence, maintaining a strong reputation is crucial for success as an astute entrepreneur.

Don’t ever buy into the notion that being smart in business means being “kuluulu” or tricky. People would see through you, and that would ruin your prospects of creating generational wealth.

Utilize Skills to Generate Prosperity

Let’s now talk a little bit more about Talent. Take for example someone who has talent as a musician, a playwright or an author.

They can leverage their skills to generate income by establishing a distinct personal brand, which ultimately transforms into substantial wealth over time. This form of wealth stems from the fact that through copyrights or patents, inventors may receive ongoing royalties indefinitely.

For instance, although Bob Marley passed away in 1981, his estate reportedly generates between $16 and $20 million each year from music royalties, merchandise sales, and the ongoing worldwide popularity of his brand, as reported by Forbes.

Since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, his estate has earned an average of around $360 million annually, with a total of over $2 billion in earnings, largely through royalties and various business deals.

These illustrate what talent, along with wisdom can produce. Granted, those are unheard of in our part of the world. Plus, the personalities involved are mega stars. But as Africa’s artistes gradually integrate into what I may call the global copyright system, you can check this out again in fifty years’ if alive.

Remember that Bob originated from a developing nation where the system was often comparable to those found in numerous African countries.

So, you see, if this is what human resources can do for you by way of generating currency–artificial money–do you think it makes sense to die for artificial money?

Do you think it makes sense to work for artificial money when you yourself–you in totality–are more valuable than any currency reserve, whether it’s the United States dollar or Ghana cedi, all put together, you as an individual are more valuable than those currencies combined, so why would you waste your life working for and dying for currency? It just doesn’t make sense.

Impact of the Flawed Education System

Regrettably, our education system seems tailored to maintain us as constant servants to wealth; it makes us think we possess no inherent worth. We’re led to believe that the sole value we can achieve comes from passing tests and being hired by large corporations that pay us what’s considered "substantial" but essentially fabricated wages. (We'll revisit this issue with "substantial" compensation later.)

However, here’s something I've noticed during my brief time on this planet: While growing up in my idyllic hometown of Ada Foah in the Greater Accra Region, I saw firsthand that most—if not all—of those known for their wealth were either "uneducated" or possessed minimal schooling.

Actually, up until 1961, there wasn't a high school (which we referred to as secondary school back then) in that town! The people who lived there constructed many large houses (though sadly, some have succumbed to coastal erosion due to the sea). They managed this primarily through activities such as trade, baking, fishing, and agriculture, amongst other means.

Nevertheless, they believed that by enrolling their offspring in schools, these children would acquire Western knowledge and surpass their expectations. However, this rarely occurred. Often, upon completing their education—even at universities—they ended up quarreling over the possessions left behind by their "uneducated" parents.

Toxic Work Environment

Absolutely, which is why I feel that the Western-style education prevalent in Africa doesn’t equip us to discover our true potential or utilize these abilities effectively.

Rather, within big companies, there exists a division known as the Human Resources Department, which aims to maximize the utility of our assets for the betterment of the shareholders.

Thus, we are left to perform isolated, monotonous chores that contribute little to our life’s purpose; afterward, meager compensation is provided, though some might refer to it as a "substantial" wage.

Once you receive your payment, the government typically levies approximately one-third as tax. Additionally, you must continue paying taxes on various goods and services consumed. Essentially, you end up funding these expenses through consistent employment from morning till evening.

This is what we have come to! Due to the apparent "safety" we experience, our workspace has turned into one where, much like crabs in a pot who pull each other down out of thirst and hunger, we see each other as adversaries instead of allies.

We exchange smiles with each other even as we simultaneously aim to undermine one another, striving to rise above our peers, until yet another individual attempts to bring us back down.

This has led to distrust, suffering, rage, and irritation among others. It makes me think of the song "Ambush in the Night" by Bob Marley, where he sings partly: “Look at them battling for control, yet they're unaware of the moment.”

Hence, they attempt to undermine our principles using firearms, components, and cash. Now, they seek to diminish our integrity, claiming that all we know comes from them alone; and due to our supposed ignorance, whenever their political tactics succeed in reaching us, hunger follows. In this state of deprivation, obtaining sustenance may turn even a sibling into an adversary! An ambush awaits at night."

Certainly, he penned this song to capture the prevailing political climate in Jamaica; and indeed, those same dynamics can be observed in the current African political landscape as well as around the globe. However, it equally resonates within office settings and corporate environments.

We observe senior leadership engaged in internal conflicts as they simultaneously attempt to gain the support of mid-level managers through strategic maneuvers, thereby causing further division within their ranks. Mid-level managers subsequently adopt similar tactics against junior staff members, which ultimately cascades down to front-line workers.

Therefore, anyone aiming to rise must inevitably confront others along their path. Essentially, these individuals are battling for control; they're struggling over wealth, both real and fabricated; and they're vying for recognition.

Therefore, regardless of what they must do to achieve their goals, they proceed with it. They believe that the outcome legitimizes the methods used. This attitude has led us to devalue ourselves as individuals created in God’s likeness! Isn’t that unfortunate? Indeed, very tragic!

Therefore, rather than working together to achieve goals, we find ourselves in conflict with one another. As such, the principle “together we rise; apart we sink” does not align with our beliefs.

We only offer superficial support. We profess to hold the belief that "united we stand" but, in truth, this saying holds no real significance for us!

Rather, we want to trample on each other. But what we don’t realize is that as you demean another human in order to go up, what you are actually doing is that you are demeaning all humanity including yourself; you are degrading all humanity including yourself; and that for artificial money, currency!

In the concluding section, we tackle the contradiction posed by artificial currency and determine what genuinely serves as a repository of value.

Feel free to reach out for interaction: +1 (914) 259-0242

jules.ntokoli@soleilvision.com

www.soleilvision.com

The author is a vibrant entrepreneur who serves as the Founder and Group CEO of Groupe Soleil Vision, which includes entities like Soleil Consults (US), LLC, NubianBiz.com, and Soleil Publications. Possessing profound expertise in strategy, management, entrepreneurship, premium audit advisory, and web consulting, he boasts a career history encompassing both Ghana and the United States. Known for his insights into areas such as corporate governance, leadership, e-commerce, and customer service, Jules stands out as a leading thinker. His writings cover subjects ranging from economics and IT to marketing and branding, positioning him prominently within conversations about African development and business innovation. Via NubianBiz.com, he strongly advocates for enhancing inter-African commerce and leveraging technological advancements to strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises throughout the region.

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