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The prominent investor and author of the best-selling personal finance book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad,’ Robert Kiyosaki, has been bearish regarding the global economic systems set-up in the previous and current century and arguably downright hostile toward fiat currencies for years.
Perhaps the most colorful show of such negativity arrived amidst the 2022 banking crisis, when he opined that the rise of a BRICS currency will severely degrade the importance of the American dollar, concluding he’d ‘rather have toilet paper.’
With three years elapsing since the relevant discussion, it is perhaps fair to ask on May 19, 2026, how accurate Robert Kiyosaki was in his assessment.
How much did USD fall since Kiyosaki likened it to ‘toilet paper’
To begin with, there is little doubt that the U.S. dollar lost some of its value since Kiyosaki likened it to toilet paper as geopolitical turbulence grew more severe and as inflation proved more stubborn than many had hoped.
Despite this, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) – an index that tracks the American currency against a basket of multiple major global tenders – has fallen only 2.27% from 101.5 in April 2023 to 99.2 in May 2026.
DXY five-year performance chart. Source: TradingViewFurthermore, the DXY remains 10.49% up in the last five years and a slight 1.69% down in the 12-month chart.
A different measurement for the value of USD, the inflation calculator provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, makes it possible to quantify exactly by how much the currency has depreciated since early 2023: $1 in the spring of 2026 has the same purchasing power as $0.91.
Is USD worth as much as toilet paper in 2026?
Attempting to quantify Kiyosaki’s claim, Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has kept the price of its toilet paper relatively stable, with the company’s website showing it is selling 12 ‘mega rolls’ of ‘soft & strong premium toilet paper’ of the ‘Great Value’ store brand for $9.98.
Furthermore, the retail giant breaks the figure further down by clarifying that the cost of 100 sheets is $0.22, meaning that a single sheet is priced at approximately $0.0022, and, by extension, that it sells for approximately $0.0044 per gram.
Simultaneously, a $1 bill is known to weigh 1g, making it worth roughly 227 times as much as the same weight of toilet paper.
Thus, it can be said that Robert Kiyosaki’s comparison between toilet paper was not accurate in 2023 and remains inaccurate in 2026.
Elsewhere, it is noteworthy that the USD did lose some of its purchasing power in the three years. $9.98 in 2023 was worth as much as $10.96 in April 2026, meaning that the same effective value could have purchased roughly one additional roll for the same value in money when Kiyosaki made his remark.
Still, consumers have noted that the retail giant’s product – much like many other items available worldwide – has suffered from ‘shrinkflation,’ meaning that the American currency is not the only thing worth less three years later.
How have Robert Kiyosaki’s ‘toilet paper’ alternatives performed between 2023 and 2026?
In April 2023, along with discussing the valuation of toilet paper relative to the USD, Robert Kiyosaki also reflected on the possibility that the announced BRICS currency could jeopardize American financial dominance.
While there has been significant pressure from central banks hedging by purchasing vast quantities of gold, the international organization comprised at its core of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is yet to launch its alternative.
Lastly, while ‘Rich Dad’ Robert Kiyosaki’s gloomy predictions have not truly come to fruition, his proposed alternatives to ‘toilet paper’ would have, generally, been worthwhile investments.
For example, both of the author’s top assets – Bitcoin (BTC) and Gold – have rallied significantly from April 2023, with the former rising approximately 174% and the latter 123%.
Gold and Bitcoin five-year performance chart. Source: TradingView
Purchasing Silver – Kiyosaki’s other preferred commodity – would have also led to significant returns due to the 200% price increase, but the other cryptocurrency he often mentions – Ethereum (ETH) – would not have led to positive results.
Silver and Ethereum five-year performance chart. Source: TradingViewIndeed, ETH is essentially flat compared to where it stood three years ago, but the loss in the purchasing power of USD means it would have also been a slight loser.
Featured image via Ben Shapiro’s YouTube
The post Three years after Robert Kiyosaki’s ‘toilet paper dollar’ warning, has he been proven right? appeared first on Finbold.
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