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*Is It That You Can’t Make Money, or That You Don’t?* is a self-development book by Iron Won, chairman of YOUTHMETA. The book tells how he overcame poverty, labor, business failure, and personal hardship to lead a blockchain data analytics company with members in 27 countries. Rather than teaching investment techniques, it focuses on execution, resilience, investing in people, and changing one’s attitude toward money and the world.
A man whose highest level of education was elementary school has published a book about his journey from bottom-level labor and repeated failures to becoming chairman of a global blockchain company. The new book is Is It That You Can’t Make Money, or That You Don’t?, written under the pen name “Iron Won.”
The book was published on June 1. The author began making a living at the age of 13, working as a dishwasher, manual laborer, delivery worker, and pig farm laborer. He went through many hardships, including losing all his assets due to business failure and spending 14 months in detention because of an unjust incident.
He now leads YOUTHMETA, a blockchain data analytics company with around 60,000 members across 27 countries.
As the title suggests, the book asks readers: “Is it that you can’t make money, or that you don’t?” The author argues that many people are not unable to make money; rather, they fail to earn it because they turn away from opportunities and do not take action.
Instead of presenting flashy investment techniques or formulas for success, the book repeatedly emphasizes direct principles such as “Do not use deprivation as an excuse,” “Do not wait for the perfect timing,” and “Invest in people.” Its core message is that execution, not environment, changes one’s life.
The book is composed of five parts. It begins with a section on turning deprivation into a driving force, followed by chapters on learning from failure, the value of people and relationships, the difference between thought and execution, and how to turn dreams into concrete numbers and deadlines.
The book also includes direct and powerful sentences drawn from the author’s experiences of failure and survival, such as “I used shame as fuel” and “There is no perfect timing. The moment the thought comes to you — now — is the fastest timing.”
Author Iron Won said, “This book is not about techniques for becoming rich. It is about changing the way we look at money and the world.” He added, “I hope people who feel stuck right now will ask themselves, ‘Why have I only believed that I cannot make money?’”
NewDaily is a South Korean online newspaper that provides coverage of politics, economy, society, culture, and global affairs. Since its launch in 2005, it has reported on major public issues, policy debates, and developments in Korean society. The outlet presents news and commentary with an emphasis on liberal democracy, market economy, and national affairs. NewDaily serves readers seeking timely reporting and analysis on Korea’s political, social, and economic landscape.
