What 220 Kiwi Net Worth Millionaires Told Us
20 Jul, 2025
Reaching a net worth of $1,000,000 is a BIG DEAL. It doesn’t happen by accident. For us to achieve this milestone, which we did back in 2020, it took years of consistently living on less than we made and investing the difference. Today, our net worth is $1,610,000 and counting.
How do I calculate our net worth? I wrote an entire blog post about it HERE. On the 1st of each month, I note down the value of every financial asset we have, including bank accounts, KiwiSaver, ETF, and our home, and then I add them all up. Your net worth is personal to YOU. What you choose to include is personal to YOU and may change over time. I create two figures, one that includes my house, and one that does not. The figures above, includes our paid for home, which has a value of ~$970,000.
I’m proud of our progress, and I often receive an “I’ve reached a net worth of $1,000,000 🎉” email from someone else who is equally proud of theirs, as they should be, who wanted to share the excitement of reaching a goal they'd set. I am always so delighted to hear of others’ wins, and I wanted to find a way to share them with my audience anonymously.
To do this, I created my net worth millionaire questionnaire, which you are welcome to fill out, and which I’ll then publish (anonymously) on my website. WHY do this? Simply because I know that readers want to share how they did it, and inspire others to reach for their own goals.
While the 220 responses I’ve already published comprise a small sample size and are from a niche group, as they had to (A) be aware of The Happy Saver and my questionnaire, and (B) feel comfortable enough to submit their responses, I still think their responses are very much worth our consideration.
Therefore, in this blog post, I used AI to analyse all of the responses, giving me a summary and highlighting the repeated themes across all submissions for each questionnaire question.
I found out that the Kiwi millionaires who filled out my questionnaire consistently:
Build wealth through property, share market investing, KiwiSaver, and owning a business
Achieve financial success usually in their 30s–40s
Favour frugal living, strong financial discipline, and starting early
Aim for financial security, freedom, and the opportunity to give back
If I can provide you with information that I know is working for this small sample size, there might be a nugget of wisdom within the responses that you can apply to your financial life.
I’d encourage you to reflect on their feedback while considering your situation and ask yourself if the way you manage your money is bringing you closer to their responses or further away. The beauty of becoming a millionaire is that, as you will see, there are many paths that lead to it. So, pick your own path, and enjoy the journey.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to submit a response. For those who would like to join them, visit my Net Worth Millionaire Questionnaire page to read the individual responses I’ve received or fill out the questionnaire.
Summary of Questionnaire Responses from 220 Net Worth Millionaires
1. Net worth
Most respondents had a net worth between $1,000,000 and $3,000,000. Several reached $4,000,000 to $5,000,000, and while there were a few, having a net worth higher than $4,000,000 was rare.
2. Individual or couple
Around 60% of respondents to my questionnaire identified themselves as a couple; the remaining 40% who responded had grown their net worth as individuals.
I meet many people who are single and worry they can’t grow wealth on their own. You can!
3. Age when reaching millionaire status
While a small group achieved millionaire status in their 20s, most were in their mid-30s to early 50s. While the remainder achieved it in their 50s and 60s.
In my experience, many Kiwis bumble along with their money until they have an ‘ah ha’ moment where they decide to do better. This is why, I think, many hit the million mark after their mid-30s.
4. Region of NZ
While the big cities of Auckland and Wellington were mentioned explicitly by respondents, so were the regions of New Zealand, including Southland, Central Otago, Canterbury, Tasman, Lower North Island and Waikato.
From having the pleasure of speaking with or emailing a vast array of people, a net worth millionaire is just as likely to be quietly going about their day in a small town as a large one.
5. How they built their net worth
Unsurprisingly, owning property (with or without debt), such as a family home or an investment property, makes up a significant portion of many respondents' net worth. However, it was rewarding to see that regular mention was also made of investing in Index Funds, ETFs, shares, and managed funds, showing that New Zealanders are diversifying their investments away from just property. Additionally, many held cash or term deposits. Some had created small businesses, were freelancing, and specific mention was often made of working in health care.
6. Highest weekly household income (after tax)
The typical income range was $1,000 - $3,000 a week. However, there were some higher incomes, ranging from $4,000 to $4,500 in some cases, with a few respondents earning as much as $10,000 per week.
7. Career field
The most frequently mentioned careers were as follows: finance, law, teaching/education, healthcare, engineering, maritime, scientific research, and government employment. Plus, SMEs (small to medium-sized enterprises) were mentioned. And of course, some had retired.
8. Children?
Most respondents do have children, though a minority do not.
9. Tertiary qualification?
There was a split here. While many, such as lawyers, teachers and engineers, said yes to having a tertiary qualification, several said no. These tended to be SME’s (small business owners), mariners, and, surprisingly, early retirees (those retiring before 65).
10. Inheritance?
Approximately 25-40% received an inheritance. However, amounts varied widely from $5,000 - $1,800,000. Most didn’t receive any kind of inheritance.
11. House value
Due to the high house prices in New Zealand, the homes in which most respondents lived ranged in value from $700,000 to $1,400,000, with the occasional property worth as much as $2,200,000. House value made up a significant proportion of many respondents' net worth.
This raises the question of whether you include the value of your home in your net worth, given that it is not an income-producing asset. The fact your primary residence only costs you money means that some choose not to include it. While others say it's worth a lot of money, hence worth including. I don’t mind; you decide!
12. Debt status
When asked about their debt position, many are debt-free or very close to being debt-free. Others carry mortgage debt, often on investment properties with debt values ranging from $100,000 to $1,200,000. It was rare to have any consumer debt.
I have noted that those who retire early are almost always entirely debt-free.
13. KiwiSaver participation
The majority of respondents were in KiwiSaver. Of the few who said ‘no’, they were already retired or felt it was too late to start.
14. Money education?
While most credit their parents for teaching them a ‘savings mindset’, responses were split evenly. Half affirmed that they were taught by their parents or at school about money, while the remainder said they learned about money the hard way (by making mistakes) and through self-study.
These responses, and further conversations with hundreds of people, confirm to me the value in teaching your children about personal finance while they live at home.
15. Most enjoyable thing with money
There was a range of activities that people like to do with their money, including travel, supporting family or causes, and volunteering. Others referenced that the most enjoyable thing their money gave them was the freedom to spend their time however they chose. Many mentioned “seeing investments grow,” i.e., counting their money!
16. Helping others?
Nearly all respondents said yes to this question, but it was noted that most prioritised giving their time over giving their money. They help others by volunteering, sharing their knowledge through teaching, and supporting their community by making some donations.
17. Greatest financial win
There were four distinct financial wins mentioned:
Buying property early
Starting KiwiSaver and share market investing early in life
Selling property before a downturn (lucky market timing)
Acquiring a business
All of these responses highlight that people who grow wealth buy assets and not liabilities.
18. Worst financial mistake
Common missteps people mentioned were:
Beginning to grow wealth too late
Making bad investments, particularly into start-up businesses and land purchases
Overspending on lifestyle (keeping up with the Joneses was frequently mentioned)
Holding property too long or selling it too soon
19. Advice for others
Through a process of trial and error, respondents had plenty of wisdom for others, including:
Always live on less than you make (live below your means)
Start saving and investing ASAP
Educate yourself about how to make and manage your money
Avoid debt, or if you take it on, repay it quickly
Set goals for yourself and measure your progress toward them
Something I noted was it took many people a lot of time to work out the difference between saving and investing. When you save money, this money is often spent in its entirety. When you invest money, your money grows and gives you income you can then spend. It’s a key distinction worth learning young.
20. What $1,000,000+ means to you
For those with a net worth of over $1,000,000, particularly if they felt they had ‘enough’, they mentioned the security and peace of mind that comes with it, as well as their ability and willingness to help others. Many say they now have the free time to pursue their passions and live a comfortable life, without financial worry. Being able to retire from all work, if they chose to, was also extremely important to respondents.
Again, thank you to all of the respondents to my questionnaire. I’m sure that there are many reading this with something to add. So, if you have something thoughtful, helpful and kind to share, please leave a comment below.
Happy Saving!
Ruth
Bonus Deep Dive Audio
AI-Generated Audio and Voices of the Blog
Jonny’s especially interested in AI and wanted to give this a go, so here it is! This deep dive audio version of the blog was created using AI voices (yep, a couple of robots doing the reading) via NotebookLM. It’s a handy alternative if you’d rather listen than read, though it’s not perfect. You might hear the odd clunky bit or mispronunciation. Thanks for understanding, and hopefully it helps you enjoy the blog in a new way!
