It took a tragedy not far removed from Wayne Rogers to wake him up when it came to money and how to handle it. According to an interview he gave to the Financial Intelligence Report, Wayne had first met Peter Falk when the two shared a room in New York City. Falk, an accomplished film, stage and television actor, later suffered a financial trauma not uncommon to many other celebrities. In the 1970s while both the longtime friends were living and working in Hollywood, Peter Falk became a victim of fraud.

Falk lost around $250,000 to a crooked business manager and he wasn’t alone. Bad investments had claimed the fortunes of many of Hollywood’s Elite. John Wayne almost went bankrupt due to bad investments. Bud Abbot of Abbot and Costello spent his last days dying of cancer and flat broke in Woodland Hills, California. Poor money management and a huge IRS bill claimed the fortunes of both members of the famous comedy team. Jackie Coogan earned over four million dollars as a child star in the 1920’s, but lost all his money to his mother and stepfather who had invested badly and wasted the rest on a lavish lifestyle.

These lessons on how celebrities had handled their money were a wake up call to Wayne. He began looking into the world of investing and started his financial empire by purchasing apartment buildings in foreclosure. Rogers started investing with a simple goal in mind. He wanted to hold on to his money and make it grow. He later moved on from real estate to stocks and bonds.

Wayne Rogers has had a distinguished acting career having appeared in films like Cool Hand Luke and Ghosts of Mississippi, as well as having played the unstoppable Capt. John Francis Xavier 'Trapper John' McIntyre in M*A*S*H from1972-1975. He still makes movies and appears on television, but he has also become a superstar in another genre. Rogers has become a force to be reckoned among the elite of super investors.

Wayne Rogers can frequently be seen on Fox News giving investment advice that people are eager to follow. He prefers mutual funds because they limit risk, but also likes commodities. Like many investors, he watches the state of the economy and the performance of individual companies. When it comes to choosing stocks, Rogers prefers many and says that company earnings are the key to deciding which to buy because they drive stock prices.

Charismatic, well-spoken and funny, Wayne Rogers has succeeded in two of the world’s most difficult professions: Acting and Investing. The lesson he teaches us is a simple one based on his original investing goal: Hold on to your money and make it grow!

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