FX.co ★ Top 5 billionaires who seek support of spiritual mentors

Steve Jobs

Spiritual mentor: Kobun Chino Otogawa

The founder of the world-famous tech company, Apple, was familiar with spiritual practices from his youth and since that time his interest in them only grew. At the age of twenty, he embarked on his journey to India, which literally changed his entire life. After living there for seven months, he looked and thought differently. However, in a biography dedicated to Steve Jobs, Alter Isaacson hinted that the enlightenment he was so desperately seeking was not achieved even despite austerity, starvation, and abandonment of habitual activities. After returning from India, he continued to work at Atari but did not give up the meditation techniques. Steve often visited Los Altos Zen, where he once met his spiritual mentor Kobun Chino Otogawa. Thanks to him, Jobs learned the basics of meditation and delved into the very essence of spiritual practices. Later, Otogawa got a job as a spiritual adviser at Apple. Notably, Steve did not hide a single aspect of his life from his guru. So, even when deciding whether to get married, Steve did what Otogawa advised him. Several times in his life, Steve Jobs tried to escape from everyday life and devote his life to self-enlightenment but each time his mentor dissuaded him. In 1991, Kobun Chino Otogawa tragically died in Switzerland when he tried to pull his drowning five-year-old daughter out of the water. Naturally, the sudden death of his mentor was a great loss for Jobs.

Mark Zuckerberg

Spiritual mentor: Neem Karoli Baba

Mark Zuckerberg went on a trip to India on the recommendation of Steve Jobs. This happened during the most difficult times for Facebook when the very fact of its existence was at stake. He wanted to visit the Kainchi Ashram whose chief guru was Nim Karoli Baba. Since then, the Kainchi Ashram has become associated with Zuckerberg and even received a second name the "Zuckerberg Temple". After a month in India, the Facebook founder returned to his home country. Curiously enough, the storm clouds that hung over his company dispersed and the success was so dizzying that it was even hard to believe. Did it happen due to Zuckerberg's spiritual enlightenment? Who knows…However, the coincidence really seems quite odd. During his life, Nim Karoli Baba became a spiritual mentor to such famous people as Larry Brilliant and Julia Roberts.

Jack Dorsey

Spiritual mentor: S. N. Goenka

The Twitter founder became an adept of the world's famous meditation mentor - S. N. Goenka, who started the first Vipassana meditation center. Vipassana is a special type of meditation that requires ten days of silence. At the same time, Goenka himself believed that the Buddha did not intend to form either a religious or political position. Its main aim was to demonstrate the universal way to liberate the soul. This is why absolutely anyone can practice Vipassana regardless of the religion they profess. Vipassana is a practice that enables people to learn more about themselves and become truly happy and free. Jack Dorsey first encountered this meditation center in 2017, and two years later he undertook three meditation courses at the Dhamma Pataka center in South Africa. Dorsey stresses that Vipassana was the best thing that happened in his life. Importantly, the Vipassana course is completely free, and meditation centers run on donations from former students.

Oprah Winfrey

Spiritual mentor: Marianne Williamson

Oprah Winfrey is one of the wealthiest women in the world. Her fortune is estimated at approximately $2.6 billion. She is a role model for many people and her fame goes far beyond the borders of the United States. However, she also has a spiritual mentor, whom she considers her strength and support for all times. Her spiritual mentor turns out to be the famous writer, Marianne Williamson, who is also a politician and motivational speaker. Back in the 1980s, she pioneered a lecture series called "The Course of Miracles", which quickly gained popularity. It consists of various spiritual practices and the basics of psychoanalysis. Oprah and Williamson first met in 1992 at the Oprah show. Since then, they had become very close friends. Oprah liked the idea presented in Marianne’s course that people should get rid of the illusion of an imperfect world with a lot of torment and prejudice and look at it from a different more positive angle.

Manoj Bhargava

Spiritual mentor: Shri ji Maharaj

Manoj Bhargava is one of the world's most mysterious billionaires. He made his fortune thanks to the energy drink 5-Hour Energy, which became extremely popular in the United States. Bhargava is now on the list of the wealthiest Americans, but not so long ago he lived in Indian monasteries. Manoj spent 12 years of his life in the Hanslok monasteries whose guru was Hanslok Ashram. However, he did not consider himself a monk. Perhaps he felt comfortable in this commune where illegal drugs were prohibited. He worked hard, helped with construction, and in his spare time he was engaged in meditation, which helped him calm his mind. Bhargava still remains a member of the Hanslok monastery. He continues his meditative practices and keeps in touch with his spiritual mentor Shri ji Maharaj, the son of the founder of the monasteries.