This is according to a study conducted by Ramsey Solutions, which is the largest study of millionaires to date. The average age of a millionaire is 49 years old, which means it takes them over 27 years of saving and investing to reach this status. This may seem daunting, but the truth is, it's never too late to start.
It's Almost Impossible
“It is almost impossible for most people to become millionaires within just one year,” said Loretta Kilday, attorney and spokesperson for Debt Consolidation Care. “More often than not, luck also plays a role,” she explained.
Given the median US household income is roughly $68,000 in 2021, it will take roughly 14.7 years for the typical household to earn $1 million gross. That's pretty good if you think about it.
Well, if you planned on saving $1M to retire in 20 years, that $1M will only be worth about $120k. Which means that unless you plan on dying the day after you retire (not that that isn't the case for many Americans) you're going to outlive your retirement.
Self discipline (i.e., regular investing and living below one's means) are key factors. The average age of millionaires is 57, indicating that, for most people, it takes three or four decades of hard work to accumulate substantial wealth.
At age 35, you would need to save $700 a month to reach $1 million by age 65. Starting to save at age 35 will provide you with more flexibility than at age 50 but can still be difficult considering the many common expenses you'll incur during this life stage.
There are over 22 million millionaires in America, which means that roughly 1 in 15 Americans are millionaires, per the 2024 UBS Global Wealth Report. The report also shared that the millionaire population in the U.S. is expected to grow 16%, to 25.4 million, by 2028.
Becoming a millionaire isn't necessarily easy but it is an attainable goal that requires financial discipline, dedication, and strategic planning. Whether through short-term, high-income approaches, or traditional long-term strategies, the key points are saving, smart investing, and minimizing unnecessary expenses.
The number-one way Americans become millionaires isn't through timely real estate purchases or being early investors in startups. The formula is much simpler: consistent buying, usually in the form of automatic contributions from every paycheck into a retirement account.
The average IQ of self-made* millionaires is 118. The average IQ of self-made deca-millionaires (over $10M net worth) is 118. The average IQ of self-made* billionaires is 133. The average IQ of self-made deca-billionaires (over $10B net worth) is 151.
To be considered a really top earner in the U.S., we could take the IRS' benchmark on what the top 1% of Americans earn—above $540,009 puts you in the top 1% of earners from a tax perspective. The Economic Policy Institute though, believes that to be in the top 1% of earners you need to earn $819,324 a year.
At 15, Valentina Pinault is the richest teen on this list if not the world -- although her net worth is based on her parents' net worth. Not only is she the daughter of actress Salma Hayek, but her dad is Francois-Henri Pinault -- a literal billionaire. And that means the sky's the limit for this teen.
Putting aside $300 per month by the age of 39 could set you up to be a millionaire by the time you retire. Investing in exchange-traded funds is a good way to minimize risk and simplify your overall investing strategy.
The median net worth at age 40 is around $135,300. This is according to the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). However, what your net worth should be depends entirely on your personal situation.
It's definitely possible, but there are several factors to consider—including cost of living, the taxes you'll owe on your withdrawals, and how you want to live in retirement—when thinking about how much money you'll need to retire in the future.
Elon Musk: 27 years old
The co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors as well as the founder of SpaceX reached millionaire status in 1999, at the age of 27, when he sold an Internet application company for more than $300 million. At the age of 41, his fortune had exceeded 1 billion.
According to data compiled by Rich Habits author Thomas Corley, it took the average self-made millionaire 32 years to achieve that. Dive a little deeper — since averages tend to skew things — and 52 percent needed 38 years, 21 percent needed 42 years, and only 4 percent became millionaires in less than 27 years.
So, just how many millionaires are out there? According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 survey, approximately 18% of U.S. households had at least seven figures net worth. That's roughly 23.7 million millionaire households across the country.