Following Prophet Noah's Advice, US Man Amasses Fortune of Rp 214 Trillion

The story of this billionaire has captured attention due to its unusual source of inspiration. An American entrepreneur built a fortune worth hundreds of trillions of rupiah by adhering to life principles he learned from the story of a prophet. Amid pressure and doubt from many people, he chose to stay on his own path. That decision became the turning point that led him to the pinnacle of success. David Steward, a man from Missouri in the United States, is now recorded as having a fortune of around US$12.4 billion, equivalent to Rp 214 trillion according to Forbes. The story of Prophet Noah that inspired David Steward in living his life is to disregard the mockery of people to do the right work. Just like when Prophet Noah prepared his ark to face the great flood. As is known, this story began when Prophet Noah received a command from God to build an ark because there would be a great flood that would destroy the earth. Prophet Noah then built a super-large ark that could accommodate humans, animals, and plants. During the construction process, Prophet Noah received words of hatred from the community. Noah was considered strange for building a large boat when there was no disaster. Despite the mockery, Prophet Noah continued working. When the boat was completed, the great flood came. The ark saved Prophet Noah, his family, followers, animals, and plants. “When you have big ambitions, people tend to mock you. They become the loudest voices and act like they’re judging you. That you shouldn’t pursue your dreams and ambitions,” Steward told Forbes in 2004. Steward’s attitude like Prophet Noah was not without reason. David Steward’s life had been coloured by discrimination and ridicule since childhood because he was a black man and poor. At school, he was separated by segregation laws. Just because he was not white, he had to live separately. Then, as an adult wanting to start a business in the 1990s, he received a lot of mockery. However, because he had studied the story of Prophet Noah, the man born on 2 July 1951 was not afraid. He refused to give up. He boldly continued his business idea so as not to remain an office worker. At that time, Steward founded World Wide Technology (WWT) to provide computer technology services to companies. In the 1990s, that services sector was still foreign, so many people mocked his actions just like what happened to Prophet Noah. However, he continued his business. He believed that in the future, the internet would become a favourite. In short, Steward’s business experienced ups and downs along with the development of the times. Until finally, Steward’s belief in his business and the future of computers proved correct. We all know that this technology is truly needed by people in the world. As a result, WWT’s business became one of those affected. Forbes (2022) records WWT as the 27th largest private company in the US and the largest company owned by a black person. Its revenue reaches US$17.0 billion or about Rp 285 trillion.