He's smart enough to know that labor value doesn't translate into revenue, no matter how high the quality. The most valuable attribute of a salesman is fame. And you don't need to read books in order to become famous.

So, just like Mike Lindell or Joel Osteen, you can churn out whatever crap you want. Build a large enough platform for reaching the rubes and that's all that matters. Demonstrate a high degree of enthusiasm for your own product, put on the appearance of wealth and success to convince other people to follow in your footsteps, and then milk those suckers for all their worth.

After that, the "I don't need to learn to read" becomes a means of selecting for people who lack sufficient literacy to see through your con-game.