The fastest way to get rich is by copying proven successful strategies without ego or shame. Mohnish Pabrai copied Warren Buffett's investing methods and made millions. Many fail because they try to be original too soon. By cloning what works fully and only then experimenting, you can shortcut your path to success in business, investing, or content creation.
The fastest way to get rich is to copy. While most people resist this due to pride and ego, Mohnish Pabrai embraced it fully and transformed his life. By shamelessly cloning Warren Buffett's investing strategies, Pabrai made $154 million. This article explores how adopting a cloning mindset can help you turn your side hustle, YouTube channel, or skill into real money.
Imagine two gas stations across the street from each other. Both have the same prices and products, but one is thriving with cars lined up, loyal customers, and profits, while the other is losing money every month. The difference? The successful station offers small touches like wiping windshields and checking tire pressure for free.
The failing station can see this winning strategy every day but refuses to copy it due to pride and ego. This reluctance to adopt proven ideas is common among humans.
One day at Heathrow Airport, Pabrai picked up a book called One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch. He learned Warren Buffett had been making 31% returns annually for over 40 years, far surpassing most investors.
Pabrai had no investing background but decided to copy Buffett exactly — no attempts to be smarter or more original. He studied Buffett’s writings, interviews, and attended his annual meetings for over 20 years. He mimicked Buffett’s business structure, daily routines, and work habits, including reading 5-6 hours a day and working alone.
This dedication paid off, and Pabrai made millions. In 2007, he even paid $650,000 for a charity lunch with Buffett, viewing it as a gift to his guru who had unknowingly transformed his life.
Pabrai calls himself a shameless cloner, proud of it. Most people, however, have too much ego. They fall into two traps:
From childhood, we are taught that copying is bad — it’s cheating. But nearly every successful person started by copying others. For example, Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, used to meticulously copy competitors’ store layouts and strategies.
Most people are embarrassed to admit they copy, but Pabrai prioritizes winning over originality.
Even when people try to copy, they often give up quickly. Pabrai emphasizes that you must commit 10,000% or not at all. Success requires full immersion, not dabbling.
Many misunderstand cloning as blindly copying one person. Pabrai cloned from multiple sources: Buffett for investing, Charlie Munger for thinking, Benjamin Graham for principles, and philosophers for life decisions. By combining the best ideas uniquely, he became original in his own right.
Many beginners try to be original before mastering the basics, leading to failure. For example, a friend running a food recipe YouTube channel was adding subtitles, music, and full recipes on screen, unlike the top channels in her niche that avoided these elements because data showed they didn’t work.
After she started cloning the proven format, her views skyrocketed, with videos hitting 100,000 and even 500,000 views. Only after mastering the basics did she begin experimenting.
If you’re struggling to grow your business, channel, or skill, ask yourself: Are you copying what already works, or trying to be original too soon? The winning formula might be right in front of you, but ego is holding you back.
Embrace shameless cloning, learn from the best, and watch your success accelerate.
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