Many people think that wealth is just the numbers in their bank account,
just like thinking that an apple is that red fruit.

But those who truly understand know:
Wealth is not an apple; wealth is the tree that bears apples.

🌻 The essence of wealth: you are that tree
If you are an apple tree:

🚩 Your roots = your scarce value
This is your foundation.
The deeper the roots, the more stable the tree.
Your roots could be your unique professional skills,
deep industry insights,
or a personal brand that others cannot replicate.

For instance, Buffett's roots are his extraordinary investment judgment,
and Musk's roots are his unique understanding of future technologies.

When others need your apples,
but only you can grow that taste,
you have pricing power.

Why do some people earn 3000 a month,
while others earn 3 million a year?
Because their roots are different.
Those earning 3000 a month may just be simple executors,
while those earning 3 million a year have mastered scarce core abilities.

That’s why doctors, lawyers,
and top programmers have high incomes,
their skills are scarce.

🚩 Your trunk = your trustworthiness
A sturdy trunk means everyone believes you will bear fruit year after year.

Money is essentially just a "trust voucher",
it is society's expectation that you will continue to create value in the future.

Why are banks willing to lend money to Jack Ma?
Because his trust trunk is thick enough.

Why are investors willing to invest in certain entrepreneurs?
Because they believe he has the ability to turn money into more money.

How is trust built?
Through continuous value output.
Every promise you fulfill,
every time you exceed expectations,
makes your trunk stronger.

That’s why personal branding is so important,
it is your trust trunk.

🚩 Your branches and leaves = your compound interest system
A healthy tree grows by itself, without needing you to water it every day.

True wealth is:
while you sleep, the tree is still bearing fruit.
Dividends, rent, royalties, IP licensing fees...
These are all the apples of "sleeping income".

The key to a compound interest system is to allow your assets to appreciate on their own.
A programmer wrote a software and sold ten thousand copies, that’s linear growth.
But if he turns the software into a SaaS service,
charging subscription fees every year, that’s compound growth.

The former is selling apples; the latter is planting apple trees.

🍎 The mistake most people make: only focusing on apples

Many people desperately want apples (money),
but ignore planting trees (building a wealth system).

It’s like a farmer who works every day
in someone else’s orchard picking apples,
instead of spending time planting his own fruit trees.

❌ Incorrect thinking pattern:
"I want to learn the latest money-making tricks"

It’s like wanting to steal apples from someone else's tree.
Today learning short videos for sales,
tomorrow learning stock technical analysis,
the day after learning blockchain mining.

These are all trees planted by others,
and you can only get a few apples at most.
Moreover, these tricks change rapidly,
today’s effective methods may be outdated tomorrow.

"If stocks go up, I will be rich"
This is putting hope in the weather.
Stocks, housing prices, Bitcoin...

These are just different varieties of apples,
and prices fluctuate with market sentiment.

If you do not have your own roots (investment judgment),
you can only rely on luck; this is not wealth, it’s gambling.

"I want to save more money"
This is hiding the picked apples,
but the apples will rot.
Inflation will devalue your money,
opportunity cost will make you miss growth.

True rich people never save money,
they turn money into assets and let money make more money.

"I will invest when I have money"
This is typical poor thinking.
You will never wait for the day of "having money",
because you have not built a wealth system.
It’s like waiting for perfect soil to plant trees,
but the best time to plant trees was twenty years ago, the second best time is now.

✅ Correct thinking pattern:
"I want to make myself irreplaceable"
This is cultivating unique roots.

Ask yourself: if I disappear tomorrow,
what is something only I can do?

If the answer is "nothing",
then you need to start cultivating your scarce value.

"I want to establish passive income"
This is letting the tree bear fruit by itself.
Spend time each month thinking:
How can I make this run automatically?

How can I turn my skills into replicable products?
How can I convert my influence into continuous income?

"I want to accumulate trust and influence"
This is making the trunk stronger.

Every time you interact with someone, think:
How can I create value for the other party?
How can I make the other person remember me?
How can I build a long-term trust relationship?

🌳 Three levels of wealth: what kind of tree to plant?

✨ Level One: Apple seller (exchanging time for money)
This is the situation for most people.
You exchange time for money; no work means no income.
Like a street vendor,
selling 100 apples today earns 100 yuan,
but no stall tomorrow means no income.

People at this level include:
ordinary employees, waiters, taxi drivers, masseurs...

Their income formula is: time × unit price = income.

To earn more money, either increase working hours or raise the unit price.
But time is limited, and raising unit prices also has a ceiling.

This level is not shameful,
everyone starts here.
The problem is that many people remain stuck at this level for their whole lives, never thinking about moving up.

✨ Level Two: Owner of an apple tree (exchanging assets for money)
People at this level have their own orchard and begin to have passive income.
Like a landlord, the house is there, automatically collecting rent each month.
Their income formula is: assets × return rate = income.

People at this level include:
landlords, shareholders, copyright owners, franchise owners...
They do not need to work every day,
assets will automatically generate income for them.
But they still rely on a single type of asset, and the risk is relatively concentrated.

The key to moving from the first level to the second level is:
to use earned money to buy assets, not consumer goods.
Most people spend their money on cars and luxury goods, which are negative assets.
Smart people invest money in stocks, real estate, or entrepreneurial projects.

✨ Level Three: King of the apple forest (exchanging systems for money)
People at this level control the entire apple industry chain.
Like Buffett, he not only has trees,
but also influences the game rules of the entire "apple market".
Their income formula is: system × leverage = income.

People at this level include:
entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders...
They have established complex wealth systems,
magnifying their influence through leverage.

Their wealth no longer depends on personal time,
but rather on the operation of the system.

The key to moving from the second level to the third level is:
to establish a system, not just own assets.
Pure assets are still limited,
but a system can be infinitely magnified.
Musk's wealth is not about how much cash he has,
but because he has built a system that changes the world.

🚀 Changes of the times:
The varieties of apples are changing, but the principles of planting trees remain the same

Here’s a key insight:
The varieties of apples will change, but the principles of planting trees never change.

🚦 The evolution of apple varieties
Agricultural age: land is the best apple
Industrial age: factories and machines are the best apples
Information age: websites and traffic are the best apples
Mobile age: apps and users are the best apples
AI age: data and algorithms are the best apples

Many people chase the varieties of apples,
stock trading today, real estate tomorrow, cryptocurrency the day after.

But they ignore a fundamental problem:
No matter what era, the principles of planting trees are the same.

The principles of planting trees (that never change):
📌 Create scarce value (roots)
📌 Establish trust relationships (trunk)
📌 Design a compound interest system (branches and leaves)

Buffett never hypes concepts,
but he can make money in every era,
because he has mastered the principles of planting trees.

His roots are the understanding of value investing,
his trunk is the trust built over 50 years,
his branches and leaves are the compound interest investment system.

🎯 Practical guide: How to start planting your wealth tree
Step 1: Inventory your roots

What skills do you have that are scarce?
What knowledge do you have that others need?
What resources do you have that are unique?

Step 2: Strengthen your trunk

Start delivering value, building a personal brand
Fulfill every promise, accumulate trust
Expand your influence and network

Step 3: Design your branches and leaves

Package your skills into products
Establish a replicable income model
Allow your assets to appreciate on their own

⚠ Please remember: planting trees takes time,
but once the tree grows, it will yield benefits for decades.

The essence of wealth =
The more you can grow apple trees that others need,
the more these trees can bear fruit on their own,
and the more people believe your apples are delicious, the richer you become.

Money is just an apple; wealth is that tree.
Most people spend their lives picking apples,
but smart people are planting trees.
And the smartest people,
are planting magical trees that bear golden apples.

Are you picking apples now, or planting trees?

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