Intelligent Money Rules

Inspired by Yale’s Science of Well Being iconic program, Intelligent Money Rules will be a definitive online course offering transformative advice to empower individual initiative and personal financial well-being. The Leon Cooperman Collection previews our curated HOF conversations offering inspiring and practical advice for curious students of all ages.

Leon Cooperman Series

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Leon Cooperman Series

Key to Success

Key to Success: Everybody I interview at Omega, I tell the story about the gazelle and the lion. And every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it'll be eaten. And lion has to run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle; when the sun comes up, you better be running. So you got to be engaged. And the world's tougher now than it was 50 years ago or 40 years ago when I started my business career. So, you have to be committed. Nobody's going to lay it in your lap. Very competitive world.

Leon Cooperman Series

20% Rule

Don't invest unless you can prepare to lose 20% of your money in any one year, the standard deviation of return. And if you can't afford to lose that, and you're going to get panicked, don't invest to begin with. I would encourage you to ride the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, ride it out; you'll come back. I got crushed big time in 2008. I held my convictions, and I made it all back in '09 and 2010. Everybody knows how to swing or swing a golf club. Some do it better than others. Ted Williams was the last 400 hitter in the majors. He struck out many times. But he was a winner. So, you have to be able to deal with setbacks.

Leon Cooperman Series

Perspective

You're going to have a setback in life, but if you want to be successful, you got to know how to handle the setbacks. That's it. No magic formula. It's three yards and a cloud of dust. No magic formula. If you're looking for somebody to lay it in your lap, you better marry rich or inherit a lot of money. And I didn't inherit any kind of money, but inherited a strong sense of right from wrong. And that stayed with me. And I hung out with people at Goldman and in Wall Street that were generous and successful people, and they rubbed off on you. I drive Hyundai’s. I'm a member of a country club in Florida where people drive Tesla’s, Rolls Royce’s, and Bentleys. They don't hold any fascination for me. I don't collect art. I don't collect sports teams. I'm not saying they're negative, nothing wrong with that. But they don't do anything for me. I get a lot of enjoyment of helping people less fortunate than myself. Pablo Picasso, as a tribute to him, he said, "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. I found my gift by extracting profits in the market, and now I'm giving it away. So, that's a life. Albert Einstein said, "A life worth living is a life lived for others." There are a lot of varied quotes from famous people. I'm not famous, but I like to listen to what they have to say and learn from others. And then it hits me; then it makes sense.

Leon Cooperman Series

Arrogance

One thing I tell the kids, I say, "No matter how successful or rich you are, the one luxury you cannot afford is arrogance. Just be nice to people. Be nice to people." I have found over the years; I see people that play well to people above them and treat poorly people below them. And I say, "No, you treat everybody properly." Very important. First sign of a gentleman is respect for those people that can be no possible value to him.

Leon Cooperman Series

The American Dream

The Leon Cooperman Collection

One of my movies that I haven't seen in a long time, I think it's 50 or 60 years old. It's called Fort Apache The Bronx. It's with Paul Newman. The opening scene in the movie is two kids are throwing a third kid off of a six-story roof, obviously to his death. And it could've been me. That's exactly where I grew up. I went to Morris High School in South Bronx. And my brother, who recently passed away, unfortunately in December, was classmates with Colin Powell in the 41st precinct Southern Boulevard, Hunts Point section. And I found my way out of that morass, and I was lucky and successful. And it was through parenting, and it was through hard work and luck. There's no substitution. Nobody's going to give it to you. You got to work for it today. It's harder now than it was when I was doing it. But it can be done. And we can't depreciate the American dream. Money: If you think about it, there's only four things you could do with money. The first thing you could do with money is you could spend it on yourself. My wife and I happen to be of... We're not art collectors, not into team sports. Nothing wrong with buying baseball teams, nothing wrong with acquiring art. They don't interest me. And basically, I happen to be of the view that material possessions brings with it aggravation as well as enjoyment. So, I'm a less-is-more kind of person. So, when I was working, I'm not working now, I'm retired, I basically had access to savings, and we had to do something with it. Second thing you do with money is you can give it to your children. But I think if you have a lot of money, giving all your money to your children is a mistake. You prevent them from having self-achievement. So, when my kids were growing up, I didn't have a lot of money, and I did not give them much money. My older boy is quite intelligent. He has a Phi Beta Kappa degree from Stanford and MBA from Wharton and made a success on his own. :And his younger brother has a PhD from Oregon State University. He's an environmentalist scientist. And they were successful in their own right. And I never gave them money until they proved their success. Third thing you could do with money is giving the government. But only a schnook gives the government money you don't have to. You pay your taxes as a citizen. You don't volunteer to give them more money. And the fourth thing you could do with money is recycle it back in society. And that's what I've done with my money. I sent a thousand kids to college in Newark, New Jersey. It's called Cooperman College Scholars. I gave over a hundred million dollars to St. Barnabas Medical Center. We replaced the Saint with a Jew. It's now called Cooperman & Barnabas. I've given a lot of money to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Boca. Regional Hospital. I'm a Florida resident now. I maintain a home in Florida. I have a house in New Jersey, but I spend more time in Florida than New Jersey. And we're giving back money to society. Make the world a better place Key to Success: Everybody I interview at Omega, I tell the story about the gazelle and the lion. And every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it'll be eaten. And lion has to run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle; when the sun comes up, you better be running. So you got to be engaged. And the world's tougher now than it was 50 years ago or 40 years ago when I started my business career. So, you have to be committed. Nobody's going to lay it in your lap. Very competitive world. Arrogance: One thing I tell the kids, I say, "No matter how successful or rich you are, the one luxury you cannot afford is arrogance. Just be nice to people. Be nice to people." I have found over the years; I see people that play well to people above them and treat poorly people below them. And I say, "No, you treat everybody properly." Very important. First sign of a gentleman is respect for those people that can be no possible value to him. The 20% Rule: Don't invest unless you can prepare to lose 20% of your money in any one year, the standard deviation of return. And if you can't afford to lose that, and you're going to get panicked, don't invest to begin with. I would encourage you to ride the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, ride it out; you'll come back. I got crushed big time in 2008. I held my convictions, and I made it all back in '09 and 2010. Everybody knows how to swing or swing a golf club. Some do it better than others. Ted Williams was the last 400 hitter in the majors. He struck out many times. But he was a winner. So, you have to be able to deal with setbacks. My Father: My father was always generous to his capability, but he never made a big living. He was a plumber, and plumbers weren't brain surgeons. He worked six or seven days a week. My most memorable time with my dad, it was the one time he took me out. He took me to Radio City Musical Hall to see Million Dollar Mermaid with Esther Williams. Other than that, he worked all the time. But he was a good person, a good heart, very kind. He died doing somebody a favor he shouldn't have been doing. He was retired due to a cardiac disability, and he was walking up a four-story tenement in Florida, helping somebody out by installing a sink. And he was carrying a sink up a four-story tenement. He had a heart attack, and he died doing that. And he never should have done that, but he was a person that always wanted to do favors for his friends. In Closing – Perspective

Leon Cooperman Series

Intelligent Money

In our post-pandemic challenging times, there is a pressing societal need to offer practical Financial Literacy and Life Skills education. Intelligent Money will effectively fill this void and become the trusted destination featuring transformative content from Hall of Fame (HOF) investment professionals and esteemed Role Models.

Intelligent Money Rules

Intelligent Money Rules

showcases Investment and Role Model Legends offering Financial Literacy and Life Skills advice in an engaging, accessible and practical manner. The initial online course will be produced for General Audiences with no prior knowledge necessary.

Cooperman Interview

Leon Cooperman is a billionaire investor and philanthropist. His valuable insights into business success and responsibility to family and society are best illustrated by Leon's advice from William Ward: "Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give."

Course Overview

Intelligent Money Rules Course

Pregame: Develop the Proper Mindset and Attitude

Course Overview: Unlock your potential, reframe your relationship with money, and set the stage to elevate and enhance your personal journey. Learn life lessons from Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Investors and role models. Explore your hopes and dreams. Develop proper attitude, approach and strategies to achieve a “Rich Life.”

3P’s: Perspective, Passion & Personal Plans

Three critical P’s for personal and professional development are Perspective, Passion, and Personal Plans. Cultivate a long-term mindset, discover true passions, and create actionable personal plans that align with values and goals. Build habits to think more long term and formulate relevant and practical personal plan to include short and long-term goals. Be inspired by showcased role models who share their personal approaches.

Create a Diversified Portfolio

Not putting all of one’s eggs in one basket has been an investment concept known for centuries. This module will discuss the underpinnings of risk and how to smartly diversify a portfolio.

Game plan: Putting it All Together

Appreciate the journey. A thoughtful recap and summary to develop a "game plan" approach to decision-making, personal growth, and financial management for both personal and professional contexts. Personal KPI metrics help navigate and monitor. Renewed sense of purpose, practical tools for navigating life's challenges, and the confidence to pursue a rich and fulfilling life.

Guide to Better Decisions

Through inspiring personal role model stories, learn how to navigate life's challenges, make thoughtful decisions, and cultivate habits that lead to personal and financial success.

Differentiate between impulsive and considered decisions. Evaluate alternative choices and expected outcomes.

Live Within Your Means and Prioritize Savings.

Even those who earn substantial amounts of money cannot build a firm financial future if they don’t spend wisely. This module focuses on the importance of living within your means, starting early, and have the “miracle” of compound interest work for you.

Value and Growth Investing

All investors seek to earn significant returns, but they go about it in difference ways. In the equity universe, Value and Growth strategies differ in their outlook at techniques. This module will analyze different schools of thought in the equity universe. Differentiate between fads versus secular trends.

Joy of Giving

An introduction to the proper mindset and initial strategies for charitable contributions. Delve into the psychology of generosity and discover how to make a meaningful impact in your community and beyond. Based on role model experiences, explore the psychological and emotional benefits of generosity. Topics include understanding the "helper's high" and its effects on well-being, techniques for cultivating gratitude and empathy and overcoming barriers to giving and developing a giving mindset.

Understand the Dimensions of Time

Time is often considered the most precious commodity we possess, as it is finite and irretrievable. Explore the multifaceted nature of time and its impact on various aspects of our lives, with a particular focus on health, money, and relationships. Delve into the concept of the time value of money, explaining how delayed gratification can lead to significant financial benefits in the long run. Explore techniques to enhance productivity and maintain concentration in an increasingly distracting world.

Find Your Inner Investor

The burgeoning school of Behavioral Economics tells us that many investors make mistakes that costs them substantial sums of money over the long-term. This module identifies the most common investor mistakes and charts a course to correct them.

Secrets to Success: Wisdom from GOAT Investors and Role Models

Who better to learn investment secrets from than the GOATs? This module will feature important lessons from the GOATs, such as Buffett’s famous maxim, “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.” Role model from modest backgrounds who went on to achieve great success also have many inspiring words to live by and will be featured as well. Timeless wisdom into actionable lessons applicable at every stage of life. Epiphany moments guaranteed.

Detector: Credibility Compass for Investors

Introduction to core skills to navigate the complex landscape of financial information and make informed investment decisions. Drawing insights from legendary investors and leveraging AI technologies, learn how to effectively vet information sources, conduct proper research, and manage portfolios in an era of information overload. Topics such as expense ratios, alpha, and a manager’s personal investment in the fund will be covered.