How Graeme Fowler Turned a $20 Million Cheque

There's a popular story about Jim Carrey who wrote himself a post-dated cheque for $10 million for “acting services rendered.” He carried it around in his wallet for the next 10 years. At the time he wrote himself that cheque in 1985, he was broke. In November 1995, about 10 years later, Carrey found out that he was cast in the movie Dumb and Dumber for which he earned $10 million.

Prolific Kiwi property investor Graeme Fowler read Carrey's incredible story about 17 years ago and decided to do the same. In a recent Facebook post on ‘Property Investor Chat Group’, which he started in late 2014, Fowler noted,

I decided at the time to write myself a cheque for $20 million back then in 2003 and see if I could make it work as he did. I have kept it all this time, and it became a reality recently.

Graeme Fowler's $20 million cheque to himself. Image: Supplied.

Although Jim Carrey attributed his $10 million fortune to the Law of Attraction, Fowler was not very specific. He remarked,

Whether it is a coincidence, the law of attraction, focus, planning, or whatever, this stuff does work.

The Law of Attraction

What is the Law of Attraction? The belief is that whatever you focus your thoughts and energy on, negative or positive, you bring into existence, attract, or manifest. In other words, you have the ability to materialise whatever you desire simply by believing strongly in it.

Although not everyone is a proponent of the Law of Attraction, it does arguably seem to work, especially for those who are not victims of the misconception that it is some mental trick based on happy thoughts and wishful thinking. After all, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Your actions must align with your intended outcome to activate the law.

The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions.
Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

It makes logical sense that the chances are high that a person will achieve their desired result if they focus their thoughts on the desired outcome and match that with the corresponding actions necessary to achieve those dreams, irrespective of their present situation in life or belief system.

This is evident in the stories of the most successful people from around the world. Obviously, achieving any goal starts with defining the goal. Actions like writing a cheque help people visualise their desired outcome. But having a clear picture of the desired result in itself is not enough. Graeme Fowler didn't make $20 million after 17 years of writing himself a cheque simply by daydreaming about it; he matched his desire with corresponding actions.

Graeme Fowler's Secret

Graeme Fowler's 'secret' is, in fact, not a secret at all. He is an avid property investor. He made his first $1 million at the age of 36 through property investment and has bought over 500 properties in his business life. He owns around 50 residential and six commercial properties with a total value of approximately $31 million. He still has some debt on these properties, but only about $8 million, so he has a healthy loan-to-value ratio of under 30%.

Not only is Fowler a great investor, but he's also very good at saving. In his early 20s, he said he would work 12-hour days doing overtime to save more money as a motor mechanic.

There's not a wealthy person who is not big on saving. To build wealth, you must earn more than you spend and save the difference. The more you can save, the quicker you can reach your financial goals, irrespective of what you earn. This has also been one of Fowler's secrets.

Interestingly, Fowler is very generous in sharing his experiences and learnings. He has written two great books, NZ Real Estate Investors Secrets and 20 Rental Properties in One Year, where he outlines his methods and teaches how to replicate them for a similar result. 20 Rental Properties in One Year is still available in Whitcoulls stores throughout New Zealand; however, the original book has sold over 15,000 copies and is no longer in print. But you can still obtain a PDF copy for just $15 by emailing Graeme himself at orion8@xtra.co.nz.

Graeme also offers personal consultation, as mentioned in his 20 Rental Properties book, if you want him to look more deeply at your situation.

Of course, you don't have to invest in properties to achieve your financial goals, and your goals don’t necessarily have to be financial. But whatever they are, financial or not, you too can cash your own “cheque for $20 million” someday, like Graeme Fowler, through the correct application of the Law of Attraction.