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Dovid Lichtenstein: A Jewish Billionaire's Advice on Money and Life

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Aug 12, 2025

Guest

David Lichtenstein

Dovid Lichtenstein, a billionaire real estate mogul known for his Jewish insights, shares his remarkable journey from selling encyclopedias to amassing wealth. He discusses the importance of viewing money as a tool while balancing traditional values with personal fulfillment. Dovid reflects on overcoming substantial challenges, including managing a $100 million debt, and emphasizes the balance between ambition and contentment. Through his stories, he inspires resilience and the pursuit of a meaningful life, showcasing how financial success should coexist with spiritual well-being.

01:18:58

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ANECDOTE

Tearing Up The Food-Stamp Form

David tore up a food-stamp application in a public office and refused dependency despite hardship.
He chose to pursue real estate instead because it had low barriers and seemed to pay well.

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ADVICE

Build Credit With Intentional Small Steps

Use small creative steps to build credibility and access to capital, like opening passbook accounts to create credit history.
Leverage that newly built credit to finance your first property and scale by refinancing.

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INSIGHT

Compound Growth By Refinance Cycling

Real estate investing scales by recycling equity and refinancing into progressively larger properties.
Small wins compound into much larger portfolios when you repeat buy-refinance cycles.

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From Struggles to Success: A Personal Journey

04:24 • 10min

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Embracing Challenges and Reflecting on the Past

14:36 • 4min

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Journey of Wealth and Values

19:02 • 15min

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Taking the Leap: A Risky Investment Journey

34:01 • 8min

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Navigating Counsel, Community Living, and the Rise of AI

42:09 • 4min

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Rebuilding and Reassessing Wealth

45:53 • 10min

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Navigating Relationships and Spiritual Balance

55:54 • 20min

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Wisdom on Wealth Building and Purposeful Living

01:16:20 • 3min

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#10384

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Mishnah

The First Written Collection of Jewish Oral Traditions

Judah ha-Nasi

Various Tannaim

The Mishnah is the oldest authoritative postbiblical collection and codification of Jewish oral laws. It was systematically compiled by numerous scholars (Tannaim) over a period of about two centuries and given final form by Judah ha-Nasi in the early 3rd century CE. The Mishnah supplements the written laws found in the Pentateuch and presents various interpretations of selective legal traditions that had been preserved orally since at least the time of Ezra. It is divided into six major sections (sedarim) containing 63 tractates, each further divided into chapters. The Mishnah has played a decisive role in the religious life of the Jewish people and serves as the foundation for both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds.

#3027

• Mentioned in 9 episodes

Talmud

The Central Text of Rabbinic Judaism

Various Rabbis and Scholars

The Talmud is a vast collection of writings that include the Mishnah and the Gemara. It covers a wide range of subjects such as Jewish law (halakha), ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and folklore. The Talmud exists in two main versions: the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud, compiled in the 5th century, is more widely studied and consists of 2,711 double-sided pages with numerous commentaries and notes.

#3013

• Mentioned in 9 episodes

Torah

The First Five Books of the Hebrew Bible

Moses (traditionally attributed)

The Torah is a compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It narrates the creation of the world, the early history of the Israelites, their descent into Egypt, the Exodus, and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The text includes religious obligations, civil laws, and historical accounts that form the foundation of Jewish identity and culture. Traditionally, it is believed that Moses received the Torah from God, but modern scholarship indicates that it is a product of multiple authors and redactions over several centuries.

#130

• Mentioned in 98 episodes

Genesis

Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit

Craig Mundie

Eric Schmidt

Henry A. Kissinger

In this book, Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Craig Mundie explore the epochal challenges and opportunities presented by the revolution in Artificial Intelligence. AI is seen as a force that can address enormous crises such as climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and income inequality, while also posing significant challenges to human judgment, divine relationships, and potentially spurring a new phase in human evolution. The authors chart a course between blind faith and unjustified fear, offering an accessible guide to how AI will shape civilization in the modern era.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Dovid Lichtenstein went from selling encyclopedias door to door to owning billions in real estate, and why he tore up a food stamp application instead of playing it safe.

Want to build wealth and keep your soul intact? Let’s get into it.

(And yes, he actually paid off a 100 million dollar personal debt. With one check.)

Watch more of Dovid's Jewish wisdom on Off The Page's pages!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareoffthepage/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weareoffthepage

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:10 Who Is Dovid Lichtenstein?

03:50 A Lesson in Valuing Money

04:48 Dovid’s Upbringing and Family Background

06:15 Life Right After Marriage

07:34 Everyone Needs to Write Their Own Story

08:13 Getting His First Job

09:22 Don’t Let Fear Rule You

11:44 Entering Real Estate

15:15 Everyone Was Brought Here for a Mission

16:04 BitBean, the AI Masters

17:18 High-Quality Clothes from Twillory

18:18 Looking Back at Life Before Work

19:37 Making Waves in the Business World

21:14 Leaning Into Fame and Fortune

24:20 You Are Not Your Money

24:54 Following the Trends of the World

25:40 Accumulating and Getting Past Credit Card Debt

26:45 The Decision to Leave Lakewood

28:20 The Power of Curiosity

31:27 Looking Back at Past Mistakes

34:03 Having the Confidence to Take Risks

38:42 Losing 100 Million Dollars

41:34 Getting Back Up After Crashing Down

42:45 Beautiful Homes for Sale in Miami Lakes, Florida

44:15 Colel Chabad Feeding Thousands of Families

45:22 The AI Revolution

46:06 Building His Company Back Up

46:50 Jumping on Different Investing Projects

48:45 Learning to Be Happy with What You Have

49:52 Realizing It’s Not All About Honor and Glory

52:06 Why Does Dovid Continue to Work?

56:01 Is AI Messianic?

56:39 Learning to Say I Don’t Know

57:42 Effort vs. G‑d Providing for You

1:01:44 Make Your Own Luck

1:03:48 Keeping His Family Grounded in Reality

1:05:55 Dovid’s Family Members’ Various Businesses

1:07:07 The Different Levels of Giving to Charity

1:10:37 Learning from Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson

1:11:30 What Is Off the Page?

1:14:50 We Need to Be Louder and Kinder in Our Judaism

1:16:24 Outro

GET LIFE INSURANCE! ⟶ Project 120's site: https://www.theproject120.com/
GET A WILL! ⟶ https://youtu.be/bHdpPuvKGVM

✬ Support the show! Help us create more episodes like this: https://www.livinglchaim.com/donate

💬 Need financial clarity? Visit LivingSmarterJewish.org for free resources.

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⚠️ Reminder: This episode or description is not financial advice. Always do your own research.

#finance #money #investing #financialfreedom #jewish #judaism #torah #JewishFinance #KosherMoney #LivingLchaim #WeAreOffThePage #DovidLichtenstein #wisdom #torah #Forbes #podcast

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