Asking New York Millionaires How To Make $1,000,000

Executive overview

Noah Kagan takes to the streets of New York City to ask residents across a wide range of industries — shipping, tech, law, finance, horticulture, and more — how they built their careers and what it takes to earn serious money. The super-wealthy largely declined to be interviewed, but the everyday workers and mid-career professionals who did speak offered candid salary ranges and honest reflections on ambition.

The near-universal answer to building wealth was simple and consistent: hard work, long hours, and a willingness to keep going regardless of setbacks.

Appearances proved deceptive — well-dressed people weren't necessarily rich, and visibly wealthy people often dressed plainly — prompting a reflection on how quickly we judge financial success by surface signals.

Career paths and salary ranges

• Ship owner ran a tanker business, calling New York the only city where it could have started
• Limestone importer saw shipping costs jump from $5,000 to $20,000 per container post-pandemic
• Farmland auctioneer operates across 40 states; calls it an "excellent" career
• Joseph Joseph North America head started in customer service and rose through hard work over 10 years
• Tech sales and product management roles range from $120k to $400k+ all-in at companies like Google
• Corporate lawyers in New York can earn six figures; starting salaries in law begin around $50–100k
• Government finance manager overseeing $6 billion in special-ed budgets estimated private-sector equivalent at $180–200k

What millionaires say about making money

• Ship owner: milestone of $1M before 30 was the easiest million; after that it got harder
• Success isn't a fixed number — "is it $1M, $50M, $500M? It's what makes you happy"
• Finance worker: hard work and being a "workaholic" were non-negotiable in any field
• Asset management starting salaries average around $95k in New York

Advice from everyday New Yorkers

• Live in tiny or cheap accommodation early; one interviewee paid $1,200 for a 70-square-foot room
• "Be willing to live in totally sh** situations and take whatever job you can"
• Take risks, try new things, and push yourself — playing it safe doesn't get you far in New York
• Come with friends for support when starting out in the city

Unconventional careers that pay

• TV composer (worked on Shameless opening sequence) noted income varies wildly, from Hans Zimmer to $0.0008 per Spotify stream
• Healthcare consultant pivoting to legal marijuana sector trading salary for equity upside at IPO
• Horticulturalist maintaining Mets stadium grounds earned $75k — below six figures but stable

Key takeaway

• The one theme shared by every single person interviewed: just keep going
• Wealth and appearance are poorly correlated — don't judge financial success by how someone dresses
• New York attracts and rewards people who love to work hard, across every industry