People always ask me about my mentors. "Who mentored you? Who influenced you? Who has
contributed to the success that I'm experienced in my life?" Today is a big milestone for me.
We today open my third real estate fund. It's a $40 million real estate fund,
Cardone Capital. I've resisted doing this for years because, you know, when you bring investors into things,
certainly people have different expectations
and it becomes problematic.
We open two funds last year. Both those funds were oversubscribed to in record time.
They were both over-subscribed and filled and completed at a 100%, and the average
investor
put in almost 8 times
more than the average
similar investment.
Now I'm telling you that to also tell you about this mentor and who influenced me. My dad told me, my dad died when I
was 10 years old, but my dad had a great
unbelievable influence in my life for those short 10 years, And even though he and I never spent real time together...
I mean, I was able to watch his life and on a couple of occasions that he sat down and told his little 6-year-old,
7-year-old, 8-Year-old Grant something, it was always impactful, and it stuck with me.
One thing he told me - I didn't really understand it then, was
"Never do anything that
will take away or diminish your name." He always said and he had just lost a company later
I found out as an adult. He always said, " Look, people can take away a lot of stuff from you ,and take your money.
They can't take your name." Okay. "Protect your name. Protect your name at all costs. Protect your name at all costs."
I really never knew what that meant, but as I was growing up over the last 30 years of being in business.
You know, every time I thought about taking a shortcut... every time I thought about doing
something that I didn't feel good about, I always thought, "How will this affect my name? How would this influence
my name? Is this going to make my name better or worse?"
And my dad just always like said to me, "Man, work hard, protect your name.
Protect your name at all costs." And the third thing he said is, "It's a long play. Be in it for the long play." Okay?
That's what my dad taught me. That was my great influence in my life to work hard:
I've been working hard for the last 30 years.
I've been going for the long play for 30 years now, and I have never done anything to damage my name.
And maybe that's why
so many people have trusted me
when we opened these funds. Today Cardone Capital, we opened Cardone Capital. It hasn't been open 24 hours and we're
25% full on a $40 million fund, just because I told people that have invested with me in the past,
I'm opening the fund first-come, first-serve. I buy the real estate. I make the decisions. You're a passive player. You literally
You're literally just betting on Grant.
You like the apartment game, you like the multi-family real estate play.
You don't have the time, you don't have the energy, you don't want to take the phone calls.
Me and my team are going to do it. Big shout out to my team. You guys have done awesome
phenomenal. I have a super team at Cardone Acquisitions in Miami. Ryan Tseko, you're awesome. Sheri Hamilton,
you're awesome. My friends at
Wells Fargo, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, my lending friends. I really appreciate all the help.
Cal, thank you so much. So to my entire team -- All the investors: my brother, my sister, my mother that lent me money.
My mom lent me money. I remember my mom, who's no longer with us, she lent me
$40,000 to finish a deal. I don't know, I guess I was 34 years old. It was my third deal,
and I needed $40,000 to complete the deal and she lent it to me.
She said, "I don't want to be an investor, but I will lend you the money
but I need to know you'll pay me back."
I just want to thank everybody: my sister Diane who has believed in me for 25-30 years.
She's been an investor with me, a big heavy investor actually for the last
10 years and she's done extremely well. Thank you so much for all of you that believed in me, for supporting me my Mom -
Thanks for that loan! And Dad, Okay. I'm 60 years old today.
I'm turning 60 -- not today.
No "Happy Birthday!" wishes. But my Dad, 49 years ago, taught me: "Work hard,
play the long game, and never do anything to damage your name."
It'll be worth everything to you in the future. Hope this finds you well!
If you want to invest with us, if you're an accredited investor,
and you want more information about investing with me in real estate, check out Cardonecapital.com.
I expect this fund will be
filled in record time. It's a first-come, first-serve basis. By the way, if you've invested with me in the past, as
you know, you always get priority at my front door, Okay? Hey. God Bless! Be great!
Remember the three things my Dad taught me. Hope this finds you well.