What if someone told you that failing maths twice in school does not stop you from building wealth? A 25-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru is proving just that. Just two years into his first job, the young professional says he has built a net worth of Rs 40 lakh — without family wealth, inheritance or risky shortcuts.
, the engineer shared how discipline, simple investing and controlled spending helped him hit the milestone earlier than he had imagined.
“25M, software engineer in Bangalore, 2 years into my first job. Hit Rs 40L net worth last month. Parents earn ~Rs 30k/month combined in a small town, no inheritance, no property, no safety net.”
The Reddit user said one habit made the biggest difference, i.e., investing most of his income consistently. According to him, he invests nearly 70% of his salary every month.
His current salary stands at around Rs 2.1 lakh per month after tax, and he claims to invest Rs 1.55 lakh through SIPs.
“Stayed in 3-sharing for the first 1.5 years to make that rule hold. No EMI on anything. iPhone bought full cash.”
He also avoided debt and kept financial boundaries clear.
“No loans to friends/family. If I give, I don’t expect it back.”
The journey was not perfect. Like many young investors, he admits he made mistakes in the beginning by chasing stock tips online.
“Year 1 I chased smallcap tips from Telegram groups. Took real losses. Sold all of it and moved into index funds. Wish I’d skipped that phase.”
Instead of chasing quick gains, he later shifted to what he called “boring index SIPs”, inspired by legendary investor Warren Buffett’s philosophy of long-term investing.
The engineer shared that his monthly SIP portfolio includes investments across index funds, midcap funds, global exposure, arbitrage and gold ETFs.
His biggest investments include the Nifty 50 and midcap index funds, followed by Nasdaq exposure and gold.
“I follow Buffett’s “buy the index and chill” idea but not sure my mix matches that. Goal is to retire by 40.”
For many young earners, his story is less about earning big and more about staying consistent with money habits from the start.