On the surface, Tori Dunlap isn’t exactly who most people would envision as a multi-millionaire. For one thing, she’s young. In fact, she achieved multi-millionaire status by the time she was just 27 years old.
She’s also committed to exploring the social justice aspects of money, especially how building wealth can help women achieve independence. As the founder of Her First $100k — a platform inspired by her first major financial goal of saving $100,000 before turning 25 — Dunlap aspires to teach women how to “make more, spend less, and feel financially confident.”
Most people never consider these 5 financial moves — and they’re leaving thousands on the table.
But Dunlap’s journey isn’t just inspiring — it’s actionable. Anyone can follow the advice that led her to multimillionaire status. Here are three surprisingly simple steps to kick-start your own financial journey, which might just lead to your first million.
1. Invest Early
Dunlap’s first piece of advice for anyone looking to follow in her financial footsteps is to start investing as soon as possible. She opened a Roth IRA and maxed it out every year, contributing as much as she legally could.
For 2024 and 2025, the annual Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,000 if you’re under 50 and $8,000 if you’re 50 or older. Keep in mind that income limits apply, so check whether you’re eligible to contribute the full amount based on your adjusted gross income.
Even if maxing out feels unrealistic, Dunlap encourages starting with whatever you can afford. “Even just $20 a month is better than nothing,” she said. The key is consistency, as contributions add up and grow over time.
One important reminder: contributing to a Roth IRA is just the first step. You’ll need to invest the money inside the account to see it grow. Consider buying shares of low-cost index funds or ETFs, such as those tracking the S&P 500, to make the most of your contributions.
2. Start a Side Hustle
The seed of Dunlap’s wealth began growing from Her First 100k — the company, as well as its namesake savings milestone. She turned her passion for communications and coaching women in smart money habits into a side hustle that eventually became her full-time business.
What started as a blog evolved into a thriving brand that now includes a book, a podcast, speaking engagements, and sponsorship deals.
The truth is, Dunlap has always had an entrepreneurial spirit: On her website, she shares that she owned 15 vending machines as a kid, turning quarters into gumballs — and then into savings for her college fund.
While it may sound like child’s play, she earned enough money that she was able to sell her machines to another budding entrepreneur — another girl also named Tori.
3. Never Stay in a Job That Undervalues You
Dunlap learned hard lessons in her early corporate marketing gigs. Reflecting on her “first big girl job,” she recalled working for “many men I didn’t respect and who treated me both like a kid and like an object.”
This experience drove home a key realization: money provides the power to leave any situation that doesn’t serve you.
Dunlap made it a habit to always negotiate for more money and wasn’t afraid to leave a job if it undervalued her. Job hopping, when necessary, helped her find higher pay and better opportunities.
Finally, you hit your $50,000 savings goal. Do these 3 things next to keep growing your wealth.
Tori Dunlap lived her dream (and, let’s be real, many other people’s dreams) by becoming a multi-millionaire before she was 30. Even if you’re, ahem, considerably older than 27, you can still take inspiration from her commonsense advice: start investing right away, build a side hustle, and never settle for being undervalued. If you can do that, your financial milestones may be closer than you think.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Money Expert Tori Dunlap: 3 Things I Did To Become a Multi-Millionaire by Age 27
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
