Anonymous wrote:I never compared myself to the “average” person or income. I am high IQ, educated, very hard working and resilient, and among my peers, what OP describes - $5-10 net worth in your 50s, if not more - is the norm.

Stop comparing yourselves to the average.
If you’ve got drive, you can shoot for the stars!
Being born an American citizen is like winning the lottery - do something remarkable with that lucky chance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an early retired Biglaw partner who was making close to $1 million a year at my former firm as the sole earner when I quit nearly a decade ago. And I was one of the lower earning partners in my firm. So I don’t doubt the numbers being throw around on this site. Not for a second.

I agree, I really feel that people reporting high incomes have no reason to lie. I am in McLean and on my street, I can easily identify 12 households out of 15 with 700-800k incomes. Both partners are Doctors, Lawyers, Tech, Lobbying, C-Level, Dentists, Business Owners or a mix of two, I am a mid level HR manager making 155k (DH is a tech guy making 700k, that's how I live here) and I am sure I am one of the low earners. Sure, in this area I know plenty of couples with solid 300-400k HHI but they all bought prior to 2020, at least the ones I know. I do see a lot of combined incomes though, sure, some SAH moms but a lot of couples making bank.

I am simply sharing the numbers to highlight that these are not made up, plenty of high earners like these in McLean, Great Falls, Arlington, Vienna, Bethesda, Potomac, NW DC etc, of course there are high earners in other areas as well, I listed these towns because they are here in much higher numbers.

Anonymous wrote:I’m an early retired Biglaw partner who was making close to $1 million a year at my former firm as the sole earner when I quit nearly a decade ago. And I was one of the lower earning partners in my firm. So I don’t doubt the numbers being throw around on this site. Not for a second.