Credit: Marija Westfall
When you think of Benjamin Franklin, you might picture his well-worn bench or the poor guy’s statue on College Green forced to an eternity of overlooking construction sites. But Franklin was more than just the face on your work-study paycheck. He was, quite frankly, Penn’s original “finance bro” (sorry, Joseph Wharton).
More than a founder, inventor, and polymath, Franklin pioneered financial self-reliance and long-term thinking — the kind of stuff modern-day titans like Warren Buffett swear by. Fun fact: When asked who he’d have lunch with, living or dead, Buffett picked Franklin, saying “Newton was probably the smartest … but Franklin was the wisest.” High praise from the sixth-richest man alive.
So, here’s the billion-dollar question you came here to answer: How can Franklin’s wisdom help you earn your own Benjamins — and maybe even a spot at Berkshire Hathaway?
Lesson one: The “13 Virtues” weekly challenge
At age 20, Franklin sketched out his “13 Virtues,” self-improvement goals like “temperance” and “tranquility.” Instead of trying to master all 13 at once, he focused on just one each week, checking his progress daily. Think of it as a 1700s version of habit tracking.
Buffett’s take on this? “The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” In other words, habits sneak up on you — good or bad. Here at Penn, where everyone has Excel sheets detailing their 10-year plan, it’s easy to think you need to improve everything about yourself right now. But maybe Franklin was onto something: Start small, and let those changes build.
Takeaway: Go easy on yourself. Pick one goal to focus on each week. Who knows? You might just graduate as the first-ever Penn student labeled “virtuous.”
Lesson two: “Do well by doing good,” the Junto approach to networking
Long before the lore of LinkedIn, Franklin founded the Junto Club — a club where tradesmen and thinkers met to exchange ideas and support each other. But Franklin’s networking wasn’t about self-promotion; it was about building real, mutually beneficial relations. He even wrote to his mother, “I would rather have it said ‘He lived usefully’ than ‘He died rich.’”
So, pretty much the opposite of what most Penn students might say now. Here, networking feels more like a high-stakes game of “Who can I leverage?” But what if we took a page out of Franklin’s playbook? The next time you’re in a coffee chat, before treating the recruiter like an all-powerful Jedi master, maybe ask yourself, “How can I contribute to this person’s life?” It might just make your connections a little less transactional and a lot more meaningful.
Takeaway: Forget “networking” as a means to climb. Try “networking” to actually connect beyond a LinkedIn button. (Crazy concept, I know.)
Lesson three: “A penny saved is a penny earned”: The magic of compound interest
Franklin didn’t just preach thriftiness — he practiced it. He left a portion of his fortune to Boston and Philadelphia to be invested for 200 years. That modest $4,000? It grew to over $6.5 million. Buffett echoes this: “My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest.”
At a school like Penn, where we idolize the overnight success stories, Franklin’s slow-burn approach feels kind of refreshing. Cryptocurrency and NFTs might sound more “in,” but your future self will probably thank you more for that Roth IRA.
Takeaway: Start small, start early, and watch your money grow — even if it takes longer than one semester.
Lesson four: “None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing”
When Locust Walk feels more like a runway and business formal is basically casual attire, it feels like flashy displays of success are all that count. But Franklin’s advice here is simple: Live like an ant — focused, consistent, and uninterested in external validation. Buffett embodies this too. Despite being worth billions, he still lives in the same modest home he bought in 1958.
Takeaway: Focus on quiet competence. At the end of the day, you are what you do, not what you post. Nobody listens to the preacher, but they will eventually listen to the sound of your Benjamin (pun intended).
Lesson five: “An empty sack cannot stand upright”
Given Franklin’s accomplishments, you’d think he was a workaholic (the type who lives, cooks, and sleeps in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library). Yet he retired from his printing business at 42 to focus on his passions — science, diplomacy, and philanthropy. Buffett follows a similar principle: “The difference between successful and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything,” he says. In other words, knowing when to say “no” and conserve your energy is a smarter path than stretching yourself thin.
In my two months at Penn, I’ve already realized that the work literally never stops. Finish one midterm, and there’s another quiz, project, or club meeting waiting. But Franklin and Buffett’s words are a helpful reminder to set your own goals and targets for what “accomplishment” looks like. Sometimes, the smartest move is to say no.
Takeaway: Define what “done” looks like for you, and don’t be afraid to say no. You can’t stand tall if you’re running on empty.
Of all of Franklin’s teachings, these resonate with me most as a Penn student today. I remember visiting his statue when I toured campus at 10 years old, dreaming of returning one day. Now, I walk past it daily, grateful for the vision he had for this incredible institution. Occasional bench damage aside, I’d like to think he’d be proud of how far we’ve come.
It’s up to us to continue building on the legacy of a man who shaped America — and inspired a few financiers along the way.
DIYA CHOKSEY is a College first year studying cognitive science from Mumbai, India. Her email is dchoksey@sas.upenn.edu.
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