The Easiest Way to Join the 1%

Becoming a millionaire might not be your stated goal, but most of us agree that it wouldn’t hurt.

Turns out it’s easier than you think — and that’s according to science. In the new book The Eventual Millionaire: How Anyone Can Be an Entrepreneur and Successfully Grow Their Startup, Jaime Masters combined the research published in Thomas Stanley’ The Millionaire Next Door, and her own interviews with more than 100 new millionaires to determine what situation is most likely to land someone in the gilded class.

It’s not real estate. It’s not inheritance. It’s not a stock-market windfall. According to Masters’ research, it’s owning your own business. Credit the investment and passion that comes along with seeing your own idea come to fruition, and the ability to control your own destiny.

“An eventual millionaire is a person who knows they will be a millionaire, eventually,” she says. “But they’re dedicated to becoming a millionaire on their own terms. They want an enjoyable business and an enjoyable life.”

Easy, right? Masters posts an interview with a new millionaire interview on her website weekly; follow along for insider tips.