Get All Access for $5/mo

How to Become a Millionaire by Age 30 Follow these ten steps to get -- and stay -- rich during the earliest stage of your career.

By Grant Cardone

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Martin Diebel | Getty Images

Getting rich and becoming a millionaire is a taboo topic. And saying it can be done by the age of 30 seems like a fantasy.

Well, it shouldn't be taboo and it is possible. At the age of 21, I got out of college, broke and in debt. And by the time I was 30, I was a millionaire.

Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money

Here are the 10 steps I took to become a millionaire. Follow them and by age 30, you will be one, too.

Follow the money.

You can not save your way to millionaire status. The first step is to focus on increasing your income in increments and repeating that. My income was $3,000 a month and nine years later it was $20,000 a month. Start following the money and it will force you to control revenue and see opportunities.

Don’t show off -- show up!

I didn't buy my first luxury watch or car until my businesses and investments were producing multiple secure flows of income. I was still driving a Toyota Camry when I became a millionaire. Be known for your work ethic, not the trinkets that you buy.

Save to invest, don’t save to save.

The only reason to save money is to invest it. Put your saved money into secured, sacred (untouchable) accounts. Never use these accounts for anything, not even an emergency. This will force you to continue to follow step one, which is to increase income. To this day, at least twice a year, I am broke because I always invest my surpluses into ventures that I cannot access.

Related: Got $500? Here Are the Smartest Ways to Invest It.

Avoid debt that doesn’t increase your cash flow.

Make it a rule that you never use debt that won't make you money. I borrowed money for a car only because I knew it could increase my income. Rich people use debt to leverage investments and grow cash flows. Poor people use debt to buy things that make rich people richer.

Treat money like a jealous lover.

Millions wish for financial freedom, but only those that make it a priority have millions. To get rich and stay rich you will have to make it a priority. Money is like a jealous lover. Ignore it and it will ignore you, or worse, it will leave you for someone who loves it more!

Related: How to Make a Million Dollars Online

Outwork your competition.

Money doesn't know about clocks, schedules or holidays -- and you shouldn't either. Money loves people that have a great work ethic. When I was 26 years old, I was in retail and the store I worked at closed at 7 p.m. Most times you could find me there at 11 p.m. making an extra sale. Never try to be the smartest or luckiest person -- just make sure you outwork everyone.

Being poor makes no sense.

I have been poor, and it sucks. I have had just enough to get by, and that sucks almost as bad. Eliminate any and all ideas that being poor is somehow okay. Go to war with being broke! To quote General George S. Patton, "Success is how you bounce on the bottom."

Get a millionaire mentor.

Most of us were brought up middle class or poor and then hold ourselves to the limits and ideas of that group. I have studied millionaires to learn their mindset and principles and I duplicated what they did. Get your own personal millionaire mentor and study them. Most rich people are extremely generous with their knowledge and their resources.

Get your money to do the heavy lifting.

Investing is the golden goose for becoming a millionaire. You should make more money off your investments than from your work. The second company I started required a $50,000 investment. That company has paid me back that $50,000 every month for the last 10 years. My third investment was in real estate. I started with $350,000, which was a large part of my net worth at the time. I still own that property today and it continues to provide me with income. Investing is the only reason to do the other steps, and your money must work for you and do your heavy lifting.

Shoot for $10 million, not $1 million.

The single biggest financial mistake I've made was not thinking big enough. I encourage you to go for more than a million. There is no shortage of money on this planet, only a shortage of people thinking big enough.

Apply these 10 steps and they will make you rich. Steer clear of people that suggest your financial dreams are born of greed. Avoid get-rich-quick schemes, be ethical, never give up, and once you make it, be willing to help others get there, too.

Related: 7 Realistic Ways to Make Money Online

Grant Cardone

International Sales Expert & $1.78B Real Estate Fund Manager

Grant Cardone is an internationally-renowned speaker on sales, leadership, real-estate investing, entrepreneurship and finance whose five privately held companies have annual revenues exceeding $300 million.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

OpenAI Just Released Its Text-to-Video Generator, Sora. Here's How the New AI Could Impact Small Businesses and Creators.

Sora has a variety of use cases for businesses, from social media campaigns to video creation.

Growing a Business

This Cozy Coffee and Garden Shop Has Become a Staple in Its Community By Following 5 Smart Strategies

Maypop is a combination coffee and garden shop where a blend of community building and customer service creates an unforgettable experience.

Franchise

McDonald's Announces the Return of the Snack Wrap in 2025 — Here's What to Expect From Its Comeback

The decision comes after years of persistent customer demand for the portable snack, which debuted nearly two decades ago.

Side Hustle

At Age 15, He Used Facebook Marketplace to Start a Side Hustle — Then It Became Something Much Bigger: 'Raised Over $1.6 Million'

Dylan Zajac, now a 21-year-old senior at Babson College, wanted to bridge the digital divide.

Innovation

These Entrepreneurs Created a League That Turns Gamers Into Pro Race Car Drivers: 'We're Giving Drivers a Sustainable Career Path'

Racing Prodigy's innovative E2Real sports league is lowering the high-cost barrier to entry for drivers to take their passion to the track.

Business News

Who Is Luigi Mangione? UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Murder Suspect Arrested in Pennsylvania on Firearms Charge

Mangione, 26, has not been charged in connection with the killing of Thompson.