Frankly, With Everything Going On I Don’t Think $10m Is Actually Enough to Retire Early

In today’s day and age, the hope that everyone can hit their FIRE (financial independence, retire early) number is something to strive for. Whether it’s $1 million or $10 million, there is a number that everyone wants to hit to leave the workforce once and for all finally. 

This is the case with one Redditor, who questions an article from Financial Samurai that indicates $10 million is the optimal number. Of course, this number will depend on where and how you live, but their post in r/fatFIRE clarifies their view that not everyone believes this $10 million number is valid. 

The real question now is whether $10 million is enough to retire comfortably, especially given the current market and global uncertainty. 

The Ideal Net Worth

The question of what the ideal net worth is is something that you can only answer for yourself, but according to Financial Samurai, the $10 million number is the way to go. Their reporting indicates you “want your entire $10 million to be invested in 100% income-producing assets.” 

As this number puts you in the top 1% of all net worth in the country, it should be more than enough to live on, and if you can’t live on it, the article says, “You’ve got some serious problems!”

Of course, not everyone with this net worth will be in strict investments, as a more diverse strategy would also include some free cash. This means you need more than $10 million or need to be willing not to have every dollar be income-producing so you can have an emergency fund lying around for those “just in case” moments. 

The Redditor’s Take

This Redditor believes that $10 million seems “sub-optimal,” though you might understand when the comment section balks at this view. However, the poster believes that, in their eyes, there is something to be said for people with this net worth, which means they have enough to live comfortably. 

Arguably, the most controversial part of this Redditor’s take is that anyone accumulating over $10 million will probably see a reduction in their overall happiness, even with this net worth. It’s safe to say this is an eye-opening (and bold thing to say, even for Reddit) statement, as “most” people with $10 million should feel they have enough to support everything they want to do and then some. 

However, with a $12 million net worth, this Redditor owns a $2 million primary residence and has $10 million divided between stocks and ETFs. The caveat is that they don’t feel ready to retire because their current job is easy and low-stress, and they are too lazy to set up their own health insurance or assets for a steady income stream. 

The Challenge of $10 million

It’s not a stretch to say that if this was a few years ago, that $10 million would have been a number nobody would have balked at as far as a comfortable retirement. While it’s arguable that the Redditor is lazy by not wanting to set up their health insurance, which they can do in probably 24 hours, market uncertainty is an entirely different story. 

As of mid-March 2025, the S&P 500 is down approximately 7.1% since President Trump took office. While this is largely a result of new tariff policies and immigration steps, it also begs the question of whether or not you need more than $10 million to offset additional losses that could be forthcoming. 

Between the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and forthcoming reforms coming here at home through DOGE cuts, there is no question that having more than $10 million, while not attainable for everyone, is probably not enough for those who want a super high cost of living lifestyle. 

Of course, this largely depends on your lifestyle and how you want to live. Those individuals or families that want a low-cost-of-living life can do great on $10 million. Those who want a $2 million home, travel luxuriously two or three times every year, and step away from work in their 50s might find that $10 million isn’t going to give the same returns it once did. 

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