How the self-made millionaires did it

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Do you dream of becoming rich but aren't sure how to make your millions—or better yet, billions? Who better to ask than the rich themselves about how they climbed their way to the top?

What sparked your fascination with the rich?
I was a broke college student in 1984 and I wanted to be rich. But I didn't feel like I was getting the information I needed from my college business classes. In a lot of the classes, the business professors seemed to put down the rich, and that didn't make sense to me. So I started looking for outside sources until I found a millionaire to interview.
Was he difficult to find?
Yes, because I didn't know any millionaires and I was just a kid. I was probably 19 years old. And I found the rich don't really like to flaunt their wealth. Most of the rich, in my experience, aren't like Donald Trump—they're the polar opposite. They want to be left alone, because as soon as people know they've got a lot of money, people come after them and the media goes after them. They want to be quiet and unexposed.
The deal they made with me was I wouldn't give their name out unless they gave me permission, and very few of them gave me permission.
Have you found any commonalities among the people you've interviewed?
Their personality styles vary: Some are introverts, some are extroverts. But their belief systems around money are the same. That was the one thread that really helped me throughout the process: They all have a really positive relationship with money. They think about money in terms of freedom, as opposed to the negative relationship a lot of people have with money.
The net worth of the richest Americans grew by 13 percent in the past year to $1.7 trillion. Does that surprise you?
No, not at all. If you look at the global equity markets over the last few years, they're up 18 percent. As where the average Americans have their money wrapped up in their home equity and low-interest vehicles, like 401(k)s, the rich have their money in the global equity markets. They've got the money to invest, and it's a good place to be right now. They're also in a nice position because they can afford to lose.
[See 10 Questions That Will Help You Earn More Money.]
Did self-made millionaires simply work harder than the rest of us to get where they are?
Most people think the rich got lucky. People think their money wasn't earned by hard work and strategic, calculated thinking, which is not the truth for most people. There are crooks in every income category, but in my experience, there's no more on the rich side than the poor side.
But it's interesting how the self-made rich are a really hated group. They're discriminated against, even in the wealthiest country of the world. I think it's really sad. I think we should celebrate these people. There's a tendency to demonize them, which I think is just crazy.
Is there any way that contempt some people have for the rich can change?
I hope so. It's so easy to take a shot on people who are rich. I hope that over time we can change our beliefs in this country, because if we don't lead the way in changing people's beliefs about capitalism and wealth, I think we're really in trouble.
Do rich people feel that resentment to the point where they only want to associate with other rich people?
Absolutely. I call it 'cocooning.' But they don't like to talk about money when they get together. They genuinely like to associate with one another. But many people think it's because the rich think they're better than other people, and it's not—it's because they're discriminated against. I think they just want to be with similar people who won't discriminate against them. They're a minority that people target, which is why they tend to hide out and stick together

References
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/10/12/secrets-of-self-made-millionaires