How Cities Create Millionaires

Broadcasting from Dubai while speaking at the World Government Summit, John O’Bryant delivers one of the most important episodes of Money and Wealth yet — a deep, practical breakdown of how wealth is really built in America. In this episode, John explains why most millionaires aren’t made in flashy industries like tech, crypto, or Hollywood, but quietly — by understanding how cities actually work. Cities are economic machines, responsible for the vast majority of GDP, and they create guaranteed, recurring demand for essential services year after year. John pulls back the curtain on: • How city budgets, contracts, and procurement fuel long-term wealth • Why boring, essential businesses beat hype every time • How small and mid-sized cities create easier paths to ownership • The real “Millionaire Next Door” formula • Why consistency, reliability, and specialization win at scale From sanitation and infrastructure to cybersecurity, childcare, real estate, and compliance, this episode challenges listeners to stop chasing what’s hot and start owning what’s essential. John shares lessons from building and selling nine-figure companies, scaling businesses quietly, and turning local demand into generational wealth. If you want to build wealth that lasts, this episode is a blueprint: find what your city can’t live without, master it, and own it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.