Financial Expert Codie Sanchez’s 7 Favorite Business Books From Billionaires

In the book, Iger discusses the reinvention of Disney under his leadership as well as the ideas and values he found most important as CEO. Sanchez emphasized the book’s details about the transactions Iger led in acquiring properties like Star Wars and Pixar. “You can learn a lot about deal-making from Bob Iger, and the way he gets deals done is really interesting,” she said.

The first book on Sanchez’s list not written by the actual billionaire but rather by a billionaire’s biographer is “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. Steve Jobs requested Isaacson write the book and completed over 40 interviews with him over two years to share his story. Isaacson also interviewed more than 100 others to gain insights into Jobs’ life and business history for the book.

Sanchez said of Jobs, “He’s one of the brilliant visionaries of our time — if not all time … I think if you want to be exceptional, it’s much easier to mimic somebody that you already know is exceptional.” Reading “Steve Jobs” by Isaacson will give you details about Jobs’ progression as a businessman that you can perhaps emulate in your own life.

The next book Sanchez recommended is also a biography by Walter Isaacson, this one about Elon Musk. The story starts with Musk’s childhood in South Africa and his relationship with his father. Isaacson dives into Musk’s business successes and his demons to paint a detailed picture of the richest man on Earth. As with Jobs’ biography, Isaacson spent two years interviewing and shadowing Musk to better understand him. He also interviewed Musk’s adversaries, friends and family.

Sanchez said she likes that the book explores Musk’s approach to business and his philosophy of breaking down complex issues into their fundamental truths. Her key takeaway is that “we all are more uniquely capable than we think we are, but the world tries to tell us not to be.”

Sanchez also recommended “Sam Walton: Made in America” by Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. Walton’s book tells his story of transforming a single dime store in his small Arkansas town into Walmart, the biggest retailer in the world. He shares anecdotes, business philosophies and candid thoughts on his history.

Sanchez highlighted that Walton was obsessed with the customer and cost-conscious, two key factors in his success. His stories of visiting both Walmart and competitor stores for intel also stand out.

The last book on Sanchez’s recommendation list is “Am I Being Too Subtle?” by Sam Zell, a billionaire known primarily for his real estate investments. Zell earned the nickname “Grave Dancer” for his habit of taking over troubled assets for low prices and revitalizing them. The book contains his stories of business successes and losses, along with the top lessons he learned.

Sanchez highlighted some funny stories in the book that show Zell’s eccentricity as well as his business acumen. “If you want your money to make more money, you should listen to this book,” she said.

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