Be born in 1980. Have reasonably well-off parents. Spend your childhood learning math and computers. Travel a little and learn a bit about the world. Study hard

Be born in 1980. Have reasonably well-off parents. Spend your childhood learning math and computers. Travel a little and learn a bit about the world. Study hard and do your homework. Get in to a top university and work on exactly the right problems. Get a job at google some time between 2003 and 2009. Spend at least a decade solving hard problems there, making good visible progress. Now wait to rake in the sweet sweet offers.