$1M of your money? Yes $250k from immediate family, if said fuzzy conditions don't confer any ownership or repayment? I'd say just barely yes (it's basically a

$1M of your money? Yes $250k from immediate family, if said fuzzy conditions don't confer any ownership or repayment? I'd say just barely yes (it's basically a gift to you at that point, which is then your money) $250k from a third cousin in return for equity? No. Being bootstrapped isn't an ungameable category, but it is a fairly unambiguous one IMO.