How a ₹2.4 LPA engineer reached ₹1 crore net worth before 30

A Reddit post is making waves documenting the candid and compelling journey of a self-made professional who started with a modest ₹2.4 LPA salary in 2018 and has amassed over ₹1 crore in net worth by 2025—before turning 30. The post, shared under a popular FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) subreddit, offers a rare blend of humor, vulnerability, and insight, resonating with thousands advancing through their own career and financial paths.

“This isn’t a boast. It’s my story,” the author clarifies early on, setting the tone for a heartfelt reflection that spans childhood hardships, early career setbacks, and financial missteps. Born into a low-income family, where his father earned around ₹7–8K and his mother “maybe ₹5–7K (never asked, never dared),” the writer paints a vivid picture of life where money was scarce but ambition quietly brewed.

After scoring 89% in 10th and 12th “with minimal studying and maximum cricket,” the Redditor joined a local engineering college—not for prestige, but for a practical reason: “The college bus started from my area, so guaranteed window seat for four years.”

Graduating into a ₹2.4 LPA job in Bengaluru, he described his early years of survival and hustle with humor and honesty. “We even had fun. Tons of it,” he recalls of his three-sharing PG life and ₹2,000 monthly savings. Then came Covid, a ghosted job offer from a Big 4 firm, and finally, a life-changing HR call—received while on the toilet—which led to a ₹12 LPA offer. “I swear, I almost dropped my phone—among other things,” he quips.

His journey took another leap during the 2022 job market boom, where he cracked 13 offers and accepted one from a product-based company offering ₹32 LPA. With stock grants included, his current compensation stands around ₹45–50 LPA.

What sets this story apart isn’t just the numbers, but the grounded lifestyle that followed. “I still use the Android phone I bought in 2019,” he writes, adding that he wears ₹250 shoes with ₹1,000 soles because “you gotta protect those knees, not the brand image.”

Despite early financial missteps—his first investment was a monthly payout FD—the Redditor now invests ₹71K/month via SIPs and maintains a portfolio that grew from ₹31.61 lakhs in 2023 to ₹100.77 lakhs in 2025. “Watching it grow now feels oddly therapeutic,” he shares.

Looking ahead, he hopes to make one final job switch in the next 1–2 years and possibly retire before 45. His closing message to young professionals? “Just keep moving. Be frugal where it matters, splurge where it counts, and never underestimate the power of compounding—financial and career-wise.”