Charles Haanel

A Brief Biography of Charles Haanel

Charles F. Haanel (May 22, 1866 – November 27, 1949) was an American New Thought writer, who is best known for his book The Master Key System, which is a guide to mental and spiritual development, individual health and financial success.

By 1933, The Master Key System had sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. Haanel practiced the financial principles himself and was a self-made success who owned several large companies.

Among the main points of Haanel’s system are what he calls the laws of concentration, attraction, harmonious thinking and action. A set of exercises accompanies each chapter, which systematically build upon each other.

The Master Key System has enjoyed renewed interest after being cited as one of the inspirations for Rhonda Byrne’s film The Secret.

Napoleon Hill, the author of the worldwide bestseller Think and Grow Rich, wrote a letter (see below) to Haanel in 1919 in which Hill stated, “My present success and the success which has followed my work as President of the Napoleon Hill Institute is due largely to the principles laid down in The Master-Key System.”

For more about The Master Key Sytem see this comprehensive review.