Three Founders Publishing Review – Can They Make You Rich?

Overview

• Name: Three Founders Publishing
• Founders: Doug Hill, Addison Wiggin, and Bill Bonner
• Website: www.threefounderspublishing.com
• Service: Investment Research

The company offers research products and courses. As advertised, their experts' knowledge of the markets and economies gives them an edge over others. 

Through their investment insights, they say subscribers will be able to achieve financial security and freedom. 

Aside from the close association with Agora (more on this later), they are also known because of James Altucher and George Gilder. Obviously, these two are renowned public figures.

Despite this, they do have accessible newsletter options. In fact, the prices of their annual subscription vary. From what is publicly available, the cheapest annual fee is $299, while the priciest is $10,000. 

In addition, beginners and even expert-level investors would find services that would best suit them.

But do not subscribe just yet. Allow us to give you more details first, as we will dive deep into the company.

What is Three Founders Publishing?

In a nutshell, the company is an investment research firm that publishes newsletters and courses.

Well, they do not have much of a difference with some outfits we have already reviewed. Examples of such on this website are St. Paul Research, WealthPress, and Southbank Investment Research. 

If you are looking for honest reviews of these, go ahead and read the links to those past articles.

Now, let's go back to Three Founders Publishing.

Addison Wiggin, Doug Hill, and Bill Bonner set up the company from what was originally a bookstore. Its name then was Laissez Faire Books. 

The establishment was known as home to libertarian economic philosophy. First to get onboard were Wiggin and Bonner who bought the store.

Not long after, Hill jumped in and acted as project head. For years, the three released titles on self-reliance, freedom, and independence.

To spread their ideas further, they eventually released a newsletter called The Laissez Faire Letter. At its core, the goal was to help more Americans achieve economic freedom.

At that time, the public received the newsletter well. So it was clear that there was a market for such a worldview. 

In order to reflect the expanded scope of the original concept, they felt the need for a name change. After much thought, the investors came up with Three Founders Publishing.

After that, the company continued to grow. 

Who are the People Behind Three Founders Publishing?

Since they are at the center of the company's name, let's start with the three founders.

Bill Bonner. As the founder and head of The Agora, you could find his imprint in several smaller investment research companies. Our website has written an exhaustive write-up on the umbrella organization, so check that out as well.

Due to his influence in the industry, he is regarded as a puppet master of sorts. Though this pertains not necessarily to investment and market activities per se. 

But he does have a distinctive trademark when it comes to the way he markets services connected with his brand. Often, the pitches are in your face. Also, most have doomsday prophecies to get readers to act right away. 

Further, once you give your email address to the companies connected to him, expect non-stop promotional emails. This is a comment we have seen over and over again.

To be fair though, most companies do this. 

But what exactly is his background? First, he is a Georgetown University Law School graduate. Second, after working for a union, he set up The Agora. 

With such a platform for sharing his financial ideas, he was also able to gain a following. Three of his books even became New York Times bestsellers.

Not to be outdone, his partner Addison Wiggin also has the same number of bestsellers recognized by the publication. In addition, as head of Agora Entertainment, he was the executive producer of an acclaimed documentary.

Meanwhile, Doug Hill's background has always been in marketing and financial training. He used to be the publisher of Choose Yourself Financial, which has now merged with Three Founders Publishing.

Now, we talk about the company's newsletter editors, starting with James Altucher.

The man is a quirky investor. Aside from being an author and hedge-fund manager, he is also a podcaster, chess master, and stand-up comedian.

Further, USA Today in 2014 named his Choose Yourself as one of the best business books of all time. It was also a Wall Street bestseller.

Meanwhile, George Gilder is a big deal worldwide as well. 

Industry veterans regard him as “the most knowledgeable man in America when it comes to the future of technology”.

Economists also recognize his New York Times bestseller, Wealth and Poverty, as an authority. To most, it contains the best arguments on supply-side economics.

Meanwhile, aside from his work as an editor, Graham Summers also serves as President and CEO of Opes Capitalis. The firm's expertise is in global investment strategies.

Aside from them, here are the other staff of Three Founders Publishing:

Senior Analysts:

• Bob Byrne
• Tim Collins
• Richard Vigilante
• John Schroeter
• Steve Waite

Daily Contributors:

• Chris Campbell
• Shane Ormond

Analyst:

• Ari Goldshmidt

Managing Editor:

• Nicole Labra

Services

If you are a potential subscriber, you will have an easy time navigating their website. 

First, the colors and design are modern and easy on the eyes. Second, the services are organized into four categories depending on the kind of investor you are. Third, most items supply the information you would need.

Since we want to be your one-stop-shop for Three Founders Publishing, here is a useful summary:

1. Foundational Investment Research

Altucher’s Investment Network

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: $299
• Refund policy: Refundable at any time during the first three months of your subscription
• Publishing schedule: Monthly Issue + Weekly Update

• Helps readers build a personal financial fortress that will help them live a life of abundance
  

• Reveals explosive secrets about how to build wealth quickly and safely
  

The George Gilder Report

• Editor: George Gilder
• Annual subscription: $299
• Refund policy: Refundable at any time during the first three months of your subscription
• Publishing schedule: Monthly Issue + Weekly Update

• Provides little-known investment opportunities that are tied to emerging technology trends
  

• Helps readers position themselves in advance of upcoming trends
  

In our review of The Gilder Report, we acknowledged the legendary reputation of Gilder.

Yes, he is a famed tech futurist who is the leading voice in supply-side economics. Be that as it may, we also noted legitimate concerns about his recommendations. 

Strategic Impact

• Editor: Graham Summers
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Monthly Issue + Weekly Update

• Provides readers with an expert understanding of what is really happening in financial markets and geopolitical space
  

• Gives readers unique investment ideas that are primed to produce extraordinary returns
  

Laissez Faire Letter

• Editor: Chuck Dolce
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Monthly Issue + Weekly Update

• Delivers the most useful, profitable, and actionable advice from around the globe
  

• Shows subscribers how to get government and big business out of their lives
  

2. Advanced Trading Services

Secret Income

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: $4,000
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Focuses on options trading, Altucher's “magic” investment strategy

• Teaches subscribers how to make thousands of dollars in the market instantly, without ever buying or selling a single stock

It is reasonable to expect to learn about Altucher's investing secret sauce in this service. But as you can read in our previous discussion, we commented on how scant the information is. 

Even after reading through the marketing pitch, it was still hard to know how he can help you.

Top 1% Advisory

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: $5,000
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Shares techniques that the biggest, most successful hedge funds use to post profits year after year
  

Altucher Weekly AlphaBrain Alert

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: $5,000
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Uses an artificial intelligence algorithm called AlphaBrain

• Delivers consistently profitable short-term trades perfect for regular stock trading or for leveraging options for maximizing gains

We have written about this service in the past. Our review then mentioned that it does look promising. However, we had serious issues about the timing for this kind of service. It just is a challenge for options trading.

Subscribers recount experiences where they immediately acted on recommendations. But still, they appear to be always too late. 

Read our extensive AlphaBrain review so you can know more about it.

Altucher’s Angels

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Delivered as needed

• Helps everyday investors find ground-floor opportunities in private market investing
  

George Gilder’s Moonshots

• Editor: George Gilder
• Annual subscription: $5,000
• Refund policy: You may receive a refund within 90 days
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Helps people prepare for "Cryptocosm", a new technological paradigm
  

• Focuses  on “moonshot” investments that are cheaply priced, “high flying” opportunities that can go up 1,000% very quickly
  

The Great Barrington Project

• Editor: George Gilder
• Annual subscription: $10,000
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Delivered quarterly

• Allows subscribers to invest directly in some of the most exciting private tech companies in America, alongside Gilder
  

Graham’s 90-Minute Trader

• Editor: Graham Summers
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Harnesses the power of options to generate massive profits in as little as a few hours
  

Snapback Profits

• Editor: Graham Summers
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Update + Trade Alerts

• Guides subscribers through the highly profitable currency markets, providing step-by-step trade information every week
  

3. Entrepreneurial and Lifestyle Services

The Altucher Report

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: $299
• Refund policy: Refundable any time during the first three months of your subscription
• Publishing schedule: Monthly Issue + Weekly Update

• Helps you break through the noise and find success in today’s new, information economy
  

• Delivers updates on emerging income opportunities that can make you a fortune for a secure and happy life
  

We noted in our Altucher Report article how ambiguous the newsletter's goals are. More than an investment research advisory, we felt that it sounded more like self-help literature.

Read our review so you can get more information about this specific service.

Real Estate Trend Alert

• Editor: Ronan McMahon
• Annual subscription: Not indicated 
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Updates as Needed

• Finds the best undiscovered real estate opportunities in the world
  

The Choose Yourself Guide to Self Publishing

• Editor: James Altucher
• Lifetime subscription: $997
• Refund policy: You may get a refund within 60 days
• Publishing schedule: One-time delivery

• Shows subscribers how to start making money from self-publishing your book
  

4. Publisher-Level Memberships

Altucher Alliance

• Editor: James Altucher
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Weekly Digest

• Provides lifetime access to all of Altucher's current and future services
  

Gilder’s Millionaire Circle

• Editor: George Gilder
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Updates as Needed

• Provides lifetime access to all of Gilder's current and future services
  

Three Founders Society

• Editor: Doug Hill
• Annual subscription: Not indicated
• Refund policy: Not indicated
• Publishing schedule: Updates as Needed

• Provides lifetime access to all of Three Founders Publishing's current and future services
  

Free Newsletters

In addition to their paid services, they also provide free newsletters.

Of course.

If they will not offer this feature, how will they harvest the email addresses of people they will spam? Who will read their ghostwritten articles that provide no serious meat?

We are kidding, of course. Half meant.

Here are their freebies:

Laissez Faire Today

• Writer: Chris Campbell

• Helps you bust through the mainstream media’s smokescreens to help you gain back your freedom, privacy, and build legacy wealth

Altucher Confidential

• Writer: James Altucher
• No details provided

Gilder's Daily Prophecy

• Writer: Jeffrey Tucker

• Brings Gilder's technology predictions to readers

Money & Crisis

• Writer: Graham Summers

• Delivers the writer's daily take on the financial markets and geopolitical events

Notes on their Services

Obviously, the main selling point of Three Founders Publishing is its most prominent editors. Even outside the research advisory industry, Altucher and Gilder have established reputations.

Because of this, they have the most offers from the company. Altucher has seven services plus his Altucher Alliance, which is his bundle promo.

Gilder has three newsletters and on top of that, a subscription bundle for all his services.

For the lesser-known editors, Summers has three, while Dolce and McMahon each have one.

We like the organization of the company's services. There are entry-level newsletters, which are more affordable compared with others.

While the fees for the Foundational Investment Research are in the hundreds range, the services in the advanced category are in the thousands.

Although most of these newsletters gave adequate info, we lament that there are some which lack details. Yes, we are aware that the prices fluctuate due to constant promotions. 

However, as the official website, we were expecting complete information as the company's data center.

What if I am interested in subscribing to Snapback Profits or even the ultimate package called Three Founders Society? Price is not indicated and apart from a few sentences of a marketing pitch, we know nothing more.

Do they expect site visitors to call them or email them just to ask for more relevant details? That's rather inconvenient.

In fact, all the services of Summers, McMahon, and Dolce have no subscription pages. We do not know their fees and refund policies.

Further, there are also no specifics on their Publisher-level Memberships. As their premium products, we understand that they may want to keep the price on a need-to-know basis. 

Still, it would have been better for consumers if there was more transparency in this area.

Track Record and Reviews

If you are interested to dive deeper into some services, here are our past articles:

• The George Gilder Report Review – Tech Trends Crystal Ball?
• Altucher’s Secret Income – Scam or Worth Joining?
• The Altucher Report – Scam or Godsend For Investors?
• Altucher’s Weekly Alphabrain Alert Review – Scam or Legit?

For this particular review, we would like to focus on comments about the research company as a whole. So this means we will not necessarily focus on comments specific to the editors or newsletters.

Naturally, we will include some comments on Choose Your Financial and The Agora. This is because they have company-wide policies that affect all newsletters and courses.

The comments below from the Better Business Bureau are typical sentiments. Scroll through reviews of their newsletters and you will read the same stories.

We always see complaints about spam emails. Once you make the mistake of giving them your email address, you will hear from them a lot.

In addition, there are also complaints about unauthorized credit card charges. Some subscribers also hate how inconsistent the refund policies and their implementation are.

If one would jump to conclusions, it would not be far-fetched to think that this is an actual company policy.

Why do we say that? It just is consistent across the board with all the affiliates of The Agora.

Moreover, an article on Yahoo! Finance discussed criticisms about the seemingly deceptive ads of the company. They even mentioned Choose Your Financial and The Agora.

Aside from making extreme claims, the teasers sound like get-rich-quick schemes. As a result, many subscribers feel like they have been duped upon joining.

The commentary from Vice also pounced on this point. Although attention-seeking ads go viral, do they help in educating the public? After all, financial literacy was supposed to be one of the primary goals of the company.

So it is disappointing to see more premium on style over more substantive selling points. It is a waste because there is a clear need for financial education in our current public discourse.

This is why here at Green Bull Research, you know we try hard to be objective. Our goal is to help you make better decisions on whom to trust with your investment choices.

Also, we are aware that different individuals receive advice differently. So we do not wish to paint anybody or any company as plain evil.

However, we also believe our readers need to know the brutal facts as well. That is why we discuss both the good and the bad.

Pros v Cons

Pros

• Editors and founders are big names in the financial world
• Easy to navigate website
• Organized and well-structured newsletters

Cons

• Complaints on marketing tactics
• Lack of transparency on methods and pricing
• Sets unrealistic expectations

Conclusion - Are Three Really Better Than One?

There is no shortage of big names in this all-star investment research company. You have three experienced publishers. Also, the newsletter editors have credible reputations all over the world.

But do these necessarily translate in the quality of their services? Moreover, are their promises attainable for the regular subscriber? Are their techniques accessible for typical investors?

In the end, no matter what the hype is, it all boils down to the answers to these questions. After all, the start should be the regular American, not these high-profile personalities.

So we encourage you to make an informed choice on whether you will subscribe to their services or not.

As we end, did this Three Founders Publishing review help you? Do talk to us and leave a comment below.