My Taiwanese immigrant friend started working in Walmart for minimum wage and retired with $2 million. What was her secret?
Yahoo Finance·2025-12-13 11:13

Group 1 - The article discusses the financial struggles and successes of a Taiwanese immigrant who started with a minimum wage job at Walmart and eventually accumulated a stock portfolio worth about $2 million through consistent saving and investing [4][5][10] - The top 10% of earners in the U.S., making around $250,000 or more annually, now account for nearly 50% of consumer spending, a significant increase from 36% three decades ago, highlighting the growing wealth disparity [2] - The minimum wage in the U.S. is approximately $15,000 per year, with about 25 million households earning less than $30,000 annually, indicating a substantial portion of the population struggles financially [11] Group 2 - The article emphasizes the importance of compound interest in wealth accumulation, noting that over 90% of the Taiwanese woman's wealth came from this financial principle [5][8] - It highlights the challenges faced by low-wage workers, particularly those with limited education, in securing stable employment and building wealth, as high minimum wages can disproportionately affect marginal workers [10][11] - The average home value in the U.S. is reported to be $363,932, with significant regional variations, such as $763,288 in California and $806,834 in New York City, illustrating the impact of housing costs on wealth accumulation [11]