The average millionaire is 57 years old. This is because it takes smart financial decisions, hard work, and wise investments to become a millionaire, most of which don't fully pay off until around the age of 50 or 60.
But if you do want to be a young millionaire, it is possible. It will take a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but the rewards may be worth it for you. And even if you miss the goal of 25, I'd venture you'd be on a great track financially.
$1 Million the Easy Way
Putting aside someone's $40,000 in take-home pay every year—and earning that 10% return as described above—will get you to millionaire status in about 15 years. Halve those savings and you're still only looking at 20 years. It will take more work for sure, but it's a lot faster than 51.
Getting to the top 1% net worth by age is a very impressive goal. But how much money do you need to get there? Overall, to have a top 1% net worth in 2022 requires having at least $10 million. $10 million is also the ideal net worth amount for retirement, based on my experience and the polling of thousands of others.
Millionaire stats show that roughly 6% of the millionaires in the US are under 29, and only 2% are between the ages of 30 and 39. About 1.79 million people under 30 in the United States are millionaires—about 8% of the millionaires in America.
Australia had over 176 thousand millionaires in 2020, an increase in the number of millionaires from the previous year. This was estimated to grow to over 215 thousand millionaires in the country by 2025.
How much money do you need to be considered rich? According to Schwab's 2022 Modern Wealth Survey (opens in new tab), Americans believe it takes an average net worth of $2.2 million to qualify a person as being wealthy. (Net worth is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.)
For the youngest generation, $428,474 is needed to classify yourself as rich. That's more than six times greater than the median personal income of $52,338, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
By age 40, your goal is to have a net worth of two times your annual salary. So, if your salary edges up to $80,000 in your 30s, then by age 40 you should strive for a net worth of $160,000. Additionally, it's not just contributing to retirement that helps you build your net worth.
In Australia, as elsewhere, a millionaire is someone who has more than $1 million. A multi-millionaire is defined as someone who owns ten million dollars or more in assets.
The reality is that achieving millionaire status is doable if you take proper steps to plan ahead. In fact, it's possible to reach the million-dollar mark by age 30. The secret of how to become a millionaire begins with understanding which financial habits can help you grow wealth.
Millionaire Statistics by Age
The average millionaire is 57 years old. As of 2013, 42% of millionaires are baby boomers (between 57 and 75 years of age), the majority of any age group. As of 2013, 19% of millionaires are millennials (between 18 and 31 years of age).
Alexandr Wang, the latest Silicon Valley wonder boy, is only 25 years old and has a net worth of more than a billion dollars.
Putting away $1,500 a month is a good savings goal. At this rate, you'll reach millionaire status in less than 20 years. That's roughly 34 years sooner than those who save just $50 per month.
Wealthy Individuals within Australia are generally deemed to be those with net investible assets (NIA) over $1M (or net of over $2.5M including the family home) and earning more than $250,000 per annum. Having said this, the ATO categorise 'Wealthy Individuals' as those who control a net wealth of $5M or more.
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) retirement standard found that a couple looking to have a comfortable post-work lifestyle needs $66,725 a year, while those seeking a modest retirement need to spend $43,250 per year, assuming that the couple owns their own home.
It then goes on to describe those middle income Australians as individuals earning between $120,000 and $160,000 a year.
On a mean wealth basis, Australia was the fourth-richest country in 2021 behind Switzerland, the US and Hong Kong. The average Australian adult was worth $US550,110 at the end of last year, after enjoying a $US66,350 annual increase in wealth.
So if you're on $100k or more, congratulations, you're in the top 20% of Aussie income earners. If not, don't worry, you're in the good company of 80% of Aussies.
The average Australian savings account balance varies depending on your age. According to a Westpac survey released in December 2021, the average customer has $22,020 in their savings account. The bank said this figure was likely skewed by larger deposit holders and pointed to a “more realistic figure” of $3,559.
A net-worth millionaire is someone who has a net worth of at least $1,000,000. Net worth is a fancy way to say 'what you own minus what you owe. ' If that amount ends up being $1,000,000+, you're a net-worth millionaire."
Yes, for some people, $2 million should be more than enough to retire. For others, $2 million may not even scratch the surface. The answer depends on your personal situation and there are lot of challenges you'll face. As of 2023, it seems the number of obstacles to a successful retirement continues to grow.