I'm a software developer in the US and this is all a pipe dream to me too - I started in the (software) workforce a few years before this person but at close to

I'm a software developer in the US and this is all a pipe dream to me too - I started in the (software) workforce a few years before this person but at close to half the salary. After my first year of employment my net worth was nowhere near positive, especially not five figures positive - I had a student loan burden that was more than my yearly salary. I didn't get into the positive net worth territory until around year ~5 in the workforce. 2009 was also a recession year where it was difficult to find an entry level job at all, at any salary. I went without (software) work for half a year when I was laid off at the end of 2008 and ended up having to relocate for employment. I'm in my late 30s now and I'm well off by almost every measure (I max out all retirement accounts, I have a six figure brokerage account) - but I'm nowhere near a millionaire or financially independent. I'll need to work another decade best case scenario. The biggest boost to my savings rate/financial position came from getting married and sharing income/bills with my husband. If I did it over again I'd pay off my loans slower and put more in my retirement accounts earlier.