There’s a reason the world’s super-rich have accumulated such vast fortunes and – alongside considerable inherited wealth for some – it often comes down to the ability to make good investments. From Warren Buffet and Donald Trump to the first woman to head a Saudi bank, we take a look at the secrets to success from some of the world's richest people.

American businesswoman Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1967 and is sometimes referred to as "the first woman of finance." The trailblazer had this to say: "Take stands, take risks, take responsibility" and "do your homework all of your life." 

Late philanthropist John Templeton swore by the mantra: "For all long-term investors, there is really only one objective: maximum total return – wait for it – after taxes." His advice was to buy low and sell high, taking risks on investments others might ignore.

Soros rose to fame back in the early 90s when he reportedly made as much as £1 billion in just one day by betting against the British pound when the Bank of England artificially held up the currency. He lives by the rule that investors should take high-leveraged bets on macro trends.

“Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy” are the wise words of investment expert Jack Bogle. His advice is to diversify, keep costs low, and stay in it for the long haul. It's that simple, apparently. 

Bill Ackman is an activist investor who definitely isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Back in 2008, he correctly predicted the recession and became famous for betting against dietary supplement company Herbalife. His advice is to invest in strong companies that don’t rely on financial support, and to always speak your mind. 

Thiel’s strategy is to invest in companies that have a niche monopoly. His advice? To be contrarian – go against the crowd and identify opportunities in places where other people aren't looking.

One of Wall Street’s biggest investors, Ray Dalio claims the key to success is to diversify: take uncorrelated bets in markets around the world and diversify your portfolio well to mitigate loss. 

"It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price" is the mantra of Warren Buffett. His advice is simple: don’t lose money. Despite having over $100 billion (£82.6bn) to his name, he's known for being frugal, playing it safe and not taking on too much risk.

"I'm a long-term investor" is the motto of the Saudi Arabian prince. He's a fan of high-growth, high-risk tech companies because he believes the greater the risk, the greater the potential return.

"I always go into the deal anticipating the worst. If you plan for the worst – if you can live with the worst – the good will always take care of itself." Despite his seemingly impulsive approach to politics, Trump’s investment strategy is to plan ahead and not spend more than you should. Who would’ve thought it?

"I am convinced that all this poverty in Mexico and in Latin America, like it's happening in China, is the opportunity to grow. It's an opportunity for investment." Carlos Slim’s investment strategy is to look ahead and study the momentum of a company or economy before placing any bets.

Ronald Perelman has made his fortune by investing in pretty much everything from cigars to comic book publishing – and the key to his success is clearly being smart about diversifying. In his words: "Happiness is a positive cash flow."

Nathan Mayer Rothschild’s investment strategy was to tap into groups with their fingers on the pulse and invest in high-yielding private equity firms. His motto? "Information is money" – plan ahead and put the time in to predict the best outcomes. 

"Look for good companies with bad balance sheets and understand your downside" are the wise words of investor Sam Zell, who looks for companies he can buy cheaply before making a fortune by turning them around. 

Saudi businesswoman Lubna S. Olayan became the chair of the Saudi British Bank in 2019. Regularly listed as one of the world's most influential women by Forbes, Olayan believes the secret to success is that "nothing beats hard work" and "the more challenges you face in life, the more of life you experience."

Tepper’s advice is to pay attention to Treasury department statements, watching all central bankers and fiscal policymakers like a hawk to predict outcomes. His famous investment quote? "I am the animal at the head of the pack… I either get eaten, or I get the good grass."

Influenced by Sir Isaac Newton, Babson warned investors of an impending financial crash in 1929. His success was based on his business cycle, which was attributed to Newton’s law of action and reaction, with the idea that gravity can predict stock markets. Essentially, this just means planning ahead and preparing for the worst. 

Klarman is an expert in value investing. His advice? "If you can remember that stocks aren't pieces of paper that gyrate all the time – they are fractional interests in businesses – it all makes sense." 

"Too many people say, ‘Ready? Aim! Aim! ...’ but they never fire" are the words of this famous oil investor. He claims that when you understand the benefits of investing, you should never be afraid to put your money in. 

The key to Bill Gross’ success is careful diversification: "Do you really like a particular stock? Put 10% or so of your portfolio on it. Make the idea count. Good [investment] ideas should not be diversified away into meaningless oblivion."

The late Harold C. Simmons’ investment strategy was to buy up as much of a company’s stock as he needed to become the main shareholder, a practice known as a leveraged buyout.

"You learn in this business... if you want a friend, get a dog” is one of Carl Icahn’s most famous mantras. If you want to invest like Icahn, buy stakes in poorly managed companies, pick them apart, and capitalise on putting them back together again. Oh, and don’t make too many friends along the way...

"Smart investing doesn't consist of buying good assets, but of buying assets well. This is a very, very important distinction that very, very few people understand." That's the advice from Howard Marks, co-founder and chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, suggesting that timing is everything. 

Unlike some of his fellow economists, Graham took a much more common-sense approach to investing and coined the phrase "margin of safety,” advocating that investments should only be made if they’re worth a considerable amount more than they cost. When they’re overvalued, sell them.

Known as the "father of growth investments," American investor Phillip Fisher claimed: "The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing." Unlike Templeton, Fisher’s approach was to buy and hold. This is the route he took with Motorola when he purchased shares in 1995, after he noticed high potential growth in the company. He still owned shares when he died in 2004.

Melinda French Gates co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her former husband in 2000. In 2015 she launched her own investment company Pivotal Ventures to help fund social progress in the US – and her advice is to "trust yourself. You probably know more than you think you do... Trust that you can learn anything." Like most things, investing is a skill that can be honed and mastered. 

Author of You Can Be A Stock Market Genius, Joel Greenblatt has no shortage of advice for wannabe investors – some of it more tongue-in-cheek than the rest. "Don't trust anyone over 30," he once said, before adding: "don't trust anyone 30 or under." One of his key pieces of advice, however, is not to diversify for the sake of diversification. "It makes sense that if you limit your investments to those situations where you are knowledgeable and confident, and only those situations, your success rate will be very high," he says. 

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