Scott Pape’s Barefoot Investor book breaks record books, selling two million copies

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has broken the record books with his no-nonsense financial self-help advice for Australians.

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape’s popular book has sold more than 2 million copies.

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has written himself into the record books by penning the highest-ever selling title in Australia — the first time an Australian has held this position.

New data shows his no-nonsense financial self-help book The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You’ll Ever Need has sold more than two million copies across all platforms including print, audio and ebook.

That’s 100 times more than the stunned father-of-four ever expected — and Pape said he is “incredibly humbled” by the book’s popularity.

“No-one expected it to sell any more than about 20,000 copies — it’s a finance book,” he said. “But it took on a life of its own.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t get somebody writing to me telling me how they have used the book to help their family.”

News Corp columnist Pape released The Barefoot Investor in 2016, then two years later The Barefoot Investor For Families, aimed at helping parents improve their kids’ financial understanding.

Next he’s stepping from page to screen, with his TV series Scott Pape’s Money Movement due to debut on Foxtel on April 28. The series sees Pape take on an issue close to his heart — bringing independent financial education into schools, while cutting out the banks’ influence.

It was initially due to be broadcast last year, after Pape began an accompanying grassroots money movement community program, but got delayed by COVID-19.

Pape, who is currently wrapping final scenes, welcomed the show’s impending arrival, saying: “I piloted my own program around the country. This show is allowing me to achieve that goal to get financial education in schools.”

Mother-of-two Victoria Clark, 42, read the Barefoot Investor book and said it changed her life. She has also read the Barefoot for Families book and her daughters Sophie, 8, and Emily, 5. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Securing better education in schools is a logical step for Pape, who is a trained financial counsellor, after his books helped hundreds of thousands of households manage their money, increase their income and reduce anxiety.

The Barefoot Investor has been an unprecedented success, selling more than 1.43 million print copies alone, according to Nielsen Bookscan data. It is also the nation’s best-selling audible book — and The Barefoot Investor for Families has sold over 247,000 copies as well.

“The Barefoot Investor has become the all-time number one bestseller in Australia since BookScan records began in December 2002, making it the first time an Australian author has held this spot in BookScan,” said Nielsen Book Australia’s territory manager Bianca Whiteley.

The feat puts Pape in esteemed company, ahead of EL James’ 50 Shades Of Grey and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in second and third places.

HR manager Victoria Clark, 42, is one of the many readers who, along with husband Stephen, turned their dire financial situation around after reading the first book.

“We had more than $20,000 in credit card debt and loans and we lived pay packet to pay packet,” she said.

“Just a few days before we were paid we’d be checking our bank account to make sure we could pay for groceries and we used to fight a lot about money.”

The Barefoot Investor book. Picture: Supplied.

After following Pape’s steps the pair now have $27,000 in savings, have ditched all their personal debts and no longer stress about money.

Giving an update on Pape’s coming show, Foxtel’s General Manager Lifestyle Wendy Moore praised his “simple, no-nonsense approach to managing money”.

She added: “Scott has already set millions of people on the road to success and stability with his Barefoot Investor book. His latest mission — teaching kids financial management — has become a personal crusade for Scott. Filming on the series started pre-Covid, and is more relevant than ever in a post pandemic world. It has been incredibly rewarding for the Lifestyle team to capture such a fabulous, positive movement, and we can’t wait to bring this invaluable knowledge to a wide audience when the series premieres.”

Originally published as Scott Pape’s Barefoot Investor book breaks record books, selling two million copies