Billionaire investor Ray Dalio said decades of this one habit helped unlock creativity he believes sits "trapped" in the subconscious, giving him calm and mental clarity that he says played a decisive role in his investment career and success.
Dalio Credits Meditation With Creative Clarity
"I’ve been practicing meditation for a long time, and it has easily been one of the most powerful things that’s helped me in my life," the Bridgewater Associates founder wrote on X earlier this week. Dalio said meditation provides "an equanimity—almost like being a ninja," helping him respond calmly to challenges.
Dalio said meditation opens "a connection between your conscious brain and your subconscious brain," adding, "That is where the magic is, because that is where all creativity is trapped." Quieting the mind, he said, helps people "open up that channel."
Dalio began practicing Transcendental Meditation in 1968 and has previously said, "Whatever success I’ve had in life has been more due to my meditating than anything else." His comments complement his broader philosophy of reflection, learning and systematic decision-making.
Dalio built Bridgewater from an operation launched in his New York apartment in 1975 into a hedge-fund giant. The firm managed about $102 billion in July, after Dalio sold his remaining ownership stake and left its board in 2025.
Research Shows Mixed Results On Creativity
Research offers some support for meditation’s cognitive benefits, though findings remain mixed. A National Library of Medicine-indexed randomized study published in 2014 found seven days of integrative body-mind training improved divergent-thinking creativity compared with relaxation training. A later randomized study found no significant creativity advantage from open-monitoring meditation.
Business Leaders Also Turn To Meditation
Dalio is not alone among prominent business figures who use the practice. Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) CEO Jack Dorsey has maintained an intensive meditation routine, while Oprah Winfrey has long made meditation part of her mornings. Virgin Group’s Richard Branson has also incorporated meditation into his routine.
Dalio’s comments go further than praising stress reduction. "If you ask me if I would be at the same level of success without it all these years," he wrote, "I don’t believe I’d be close."
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