Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences

A 2025 JPMorgan survey found reading is the top habit shared by billionaires like Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey, but two in five Americans read no books in 2025. Experts attribute the decline to the attention economy driven by social media and AI, warning it undermines critical leadership skills like nuanced analysis and intellectual curiosity.