You are young, I’m 17 years old, you’re ambitious. I worked my face off, and you want to make it big early in your life. So, in today’s blog, I’m going to reveal the seven principles for teenagers and people in their early 20s to become millionaires.

Now, I made my first million dollars at 18 years old, and no matter what you see on TikTok, I want you to know that that is not normal. It is not normal in any shape, form, or fashion, but it is because I followed these seven principles. So, what I’m going to reveal to you today not only helped me make my first million dollars at 18 years old, it has helped me to amass a net worth of tens of millions of dollars by the age of 23. So, I’m speaking from experience here, but I do want to make it clear that no matter what anyone says, I will hold my hand up and say that a very large portion of why I’m in the position I am today is because of luck, or the grace of God in my opinion, and timing.

So, just factor that in now real quick before we get into today’s blog. I’ve had tons of people over the years ask me to do like Q&As on Instagram, or even here on YouTube, where I answer questions to people’s specific cases, you know, their particular question. And I’ll be honest, my main Instagram is just a stupid place where I post photo dumps from trips, business trips, what’s going on in my life, stuff like that. But earlier this year, I usually tell my team to let in a thousand or two thousand people a week. I try my best, okay? I’ll hold my hands up, sometimes I do miss it. I try my best to do a weekly Q&A, just answering all of your guys’ business and life questions. So, go ahead and follow that account if you want a little bit more business advice, but apart from that, let’s get back into the blog.

The first principle you need to learn if you want to be a millionaire in your teens or your early 20s is that in order to be a king, you must first be a pawn. And this is really the issue with this generation. And I say this generation even though I am included in it, but I grew up with very traditional principles around respect. I come from a background that is a mix between Eastern European and Middle Eastern. So, like, growing up, you have no option, you learn respect, and you learn the pecking order. And I learned from a young age that you respect your elders, and that’s why still to the state, I still sit across the table from people that I’m gonna be very honest with you, are far less successful than I am, but I shut the up and I listen. Because for me, in my culture, you listen to your elders. Now, that doesn’t mean you need to take everything that they say on board, but you at least listen. And because I grew up in this environment of learning respect,

I learned that hey, you can be a king one day, but in order to be a king, you first need to be a pawn. You first need to be able to earn your stripes. And by the way, I earned my stripes from a very young age. I started my first entrepreneurial ventures when I was 14, and I learned what it was like to work with clients, and quite frankly, for lack of a better word, be their little boy.

I learned what it was like to pay my dues, no matter what it’s like. It’s kind of like listen, when you’re young and you join a football team, you’re going to be the one who’s the ball boy at the end of training. You’re going to be the one who is expected to carry all of the equipment to and from, and you need to go through that to one day become the captain. You don’t just come in,

especially as someone who is young, and become the captain all of a sudden. And that is the issue with today’s social media society. They look at things, and they look at people, and they go, okay, I’m going to jump from here to here, and I deserve that for some reason. And I even get this to this day. People say, hey man, why do you recommend business models that you used to do?

Why don’t you recommend what you’re doing right now? Do you realize how stupid that sounds? Do you realize why I may suggest business models I did when I first started my entrepreneurial ventures, or within three years into my entrepreneurial ventures, not now that I am coming up to my 10th year as an entrepreneur? Do you not realize why I would suggest businesses that I started as a pawn, as someone with no resources, no connection, no money, nothing?

Do you realize why I suggest those businesses rather than the businesses I have now with millions of followers, subscribers, tens of millions of dollars? Like, I’m sure you can kind of see why I think this is better than this, but this is what I’m saying. The younger generation, they look at things and they’re like, no, I want to jump straight to the finish line. You have to earn your stripes.

So, just remember to be a king, you must first learn to be a pawn. And there is an nothing wrong with that, by the way. There is honor, there is nobility in starting from the bottom of the pecking order, being quiet, respecting the process, and understanding that you will eventually work your way up the totem pole.

Now, the next principle for teenagers to become millionaires is dress to elevate. And here’s what I mean by that. When you are young, people are going to automatically discredit you. You don’t want to make it worse by the way that you dress. So, here’s the thing, you can have a 30-year-old that dresses in big labels, Gucci, Balenciaga, wears the funny shoes and all that stuff. And listen, I mean, I’m not against it, sometimes when I’m feeling comfortable, I dress in streetwear, but if I’m going to an important meeting, I can guarantee you I’m not dressed like that.

And my point is that you can get a 30-year-old that dresses like that, that looks like a 20-year-old, whereas you can get an 18 or 20-year-old that dresses very traditional, very classic, and you can get an 18 or 20-year-old that looks like they’re 30. So, the point is, don’t spend crazy amounts of money to have all these labels and this and that. And I don’t think that’s a good idea ever, unless you really can afford it. You have a full wardrobe, and sometimes you just want to be a little playful.

My best recommendation is just go for clothes that have no branding, no label. And I’m not saying that you need to dress in three-piece suits. Listen, even if you just go in a simple black T-shirt, simple trousers that aren’t too baggy, and definitely no skinny jeans, and just some classic timeless shape shoes. Listen, you’re not dressing incredibly well, but the point is, you can kind of hold your own in any room. Sometimes less really is more. So, first learn how to just dress classic and timeless, and then later down the line you can start incorporating some suits. You can start incorporating some double-breasted suits.

Maybe before you go to the suits, just get some nice blazers, and you compare the blazers with trousers. It doesn’t need to be a full suit, you know? A lot of times I’m just very comfortable with a nice round neck T-shirt, not like this. This is a lot more, you know, it’s a Sunday today, a very home comfortable shirt. So, not something as casual as this, just a nice fitted white T-shirt or black T-shirt, and a smart blazer over the top, some trousers, and some smart shoes, and you have a very classic timeless look that’s not overly formal, and you’re never going to be too overdressed in any situation.

And then, as I said, later down the line, you can get into your double-breasted. So, you can get into your three pieces, whatever you feel comfortable in, really. But the point is that you really need to learn how to dress to elevate, especially if you’re going into the world of business at a young age. Because I’m being honest with you, I experience this firsthand. People will try to discredit you because of your age, so don’t give them any excuse or reason to make it an even bigger thing than it needs to be. So, dress older than you are.

Now, the third principle for teenagers to become millionaires is have something external that humbles you. And here’s what I mean by that. There’s a lot of people who are young with a lot of ambition in their life, but the issue is there’s nothing in their life that has humbled them. Things that will humble you: combat sports, business.

Business will humble you because no matter how good you are, when you get in the world of business, the market will tell you how good you are. I’ll give you a perfect example. I remember when I was 17 years old, I had gone up to I think 15 or 20 grand in my business at that point. I dropped out of school the month prior, and I hired my first employee, full-time employee, $50,000 a year, which by the way, for a first employee, was like at 17, that was big for me. And I’ll never forget it.

This person even moved country to join my company, AKA just me, and within three to four days, he quit, packed up his stuff, and went back to his country and was like, I do not enjoy this work. And I remember it was one of the very few times I’ve ever cried in my life. I remember talking to my mom, and just crying, and just being like, wow, I feel like a failure.

Your business is taking off, and you’re hiring your first employee, and they leave because the work isn’t enjoyable enough. Or potentially, and this is something I had to face at the time, maybe I just really wasn’t an inspiring leader. Maybe I wasn’t a sort of leader where my team was like, I would follow you into war. And things are very different now that I have 150 employees.

We get 40,000 people a year applying to work at one of my companies. Because I was humbled when I was 17, that hey, maybe you’re not as good as you think you are. Maybe you think that you’re this little child prodigy. Are you sure about that? Let me humble you. So, whether it’s business, whether it’s combat sports, you need something external in your life to humble you, and put you in your place. Because the thing is, especially if you earn a lot of success at a young age, you’re going to start to think you’re hot, and if you don’t have anything to humble you, you will end up becoming your worst enemy.

The next principle you need to follow is no casual dating. Either something serious, or nothing at all. Listen, if you are in your teenage years or your early 20s, either you go for something serious. No casual dates, no casual flings, stuff like that. Listen, you are a man in your early years. Make something of yourself, and either have a partner early on.

They will support you through that, as something serious, or none of this casual Hinge, Tinder, blah, blah, all this. None of this casual dating, because let me tell you something, it is taking you away from your best years, your best years to build. And the other thing is, we live in a very brutal dating culture. I’m gonna be very honest with you, so why bother trying to navigate this crazy difficult dating culture where there’s successful men all around the world that through Instagram and all of these other mediums have access to all these women?

Why would you at 19 try to compete with that? Either you have that serious girl that holds it down for you, or don’t try to casual date. If you want a casual date, and have your fun, and listen, I’m speaking to someone who has had both sides of the equation. Into the state, I still like to have my fun. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I put my head down and work like a dog for years and years, and I remember even being 19, 20, and being a multi-millionaire, and I said to myself, what’s the point of me really focusing on women and having fun and enjoying myself with all these women when girls don’t want guys for 19 or 20, and you need to understand this as a guy. You become most attractive once you get past the age of 25, really.

From 25 to 35 is when you’re most attractive to women, and it really only starts at 25. So, I remember even being 19 or 20, and I’m like, yes, this is great, I’m a multi-millionaire, I’m all these things, but like let me just keep working like I’m on a roll, like all momentum, let me just keep this going rather than trying to have the most fun, and date girls, and Bubba, and all this crap. So, as I said, no casual dating. Either you are dating someone serious that you’re like, this woman could be that day one for me, and by the way, that day one girl, listen, please take this coming from me.

There is nothing on Earth, nothing on Earth that is more viable than that. If you’ve got a day one girl, and you managed to get a day one girl, you know all these girls on a y’all private job, I have done and still do all these things. But I understand that that does not come remotely close to a day one girl who is there from you, from the jump, from day one. So, either aim for that, because by the way, that is the most valuable thing you could ever get in life, I’m telling you this. So, either you get that, or just don’t casual date, because you are in your building phase. You have so long, especially as a man.

And I know I keep talking to men, and I understand that there’s a, I think 10% of my audience is women, and I always do say I make content specifically for men because I grew up without a dad. I had to learn all this myself, so that’s why I speak to the young men out there. But I know a lot of women still watch my videos and take lessons from it and stuff like that. So, as I was saying, keep your head down, keep focused, no casual dating. And then, once you’ve made something of yourself, pop your head up, and then you can have a little bit of fun before eventually, hopefully one day you find your actual Queen.

Principle number five is keep your circles small, but your influence large. And here’s what I mean by that. There is nothing wrong with many people knowing you, or with you having many acquaintances, but you should have very few friends. And here’s the thing: most people in this fake life don’t know the difference between an acquaintance and a friend, because most people don’t understand what true loyalty is. They are around people that they don’t like, they’re around people for clout or money, and this and that.

And that’s why, by the way, it’s so important to get yourself strong first, so this way people later down line can’t throw money, or women, or clout at you, and you’re impressed by it. You need to make yourself strong. You need to make yourself a fortress. But back to the point, keep your circle tight, but your influence large. Many people can and should know of you, and I’m not talking about having a massive social media following or this or that.

I just mean, even in the industry you’re in, never unnecessarily burn bridges. Always be very polite and courteous to people, but always understand that you can probably only have a select handful of true friends, true Brothers in Arms, true people that will love you and do anything for you. That’s a very, very small circle. So, your circle of influence can and should be large, but keep your actual circle solid and full of good people.

The next principle you need to follow is that God will always test you to see what you can handle, and if you can’t, he will take it away from you. And this is very, very important, because becoming successful and making your first million in your teens or your early 20s, that’s great. Congratulations. Can you keep it now? And not only can you keep it, can you multiply it? Because that’s a lot of pressure. Listen, if you make your first million dollars when you’re 18, or you’re 20, or you’re you know, even 23, that’s great.

But that’s a lot of pressure. Every year after that, can you hold that same standard? So, you need to understand that God, if he blesses you, if he gives you that million at a young age, he’s gonna see if you can handle it.

He’s gonna see if you can humble yourself. That’s why earlier, I told you have things external in your life that will constantly humble you. Business, martial arts, setting challenges for yourself, and seeing if you can accomplish things that really make you dig deep, because here’s the thing: if you don’t have these external things to humble you, if you don’t humble yourself, God will humble you, and when God humbles you, it’s with a ferocity you can’t even imagine, because you’re not ready for it yet. As quickly as it’s given, it’s taken away, and you need to understand these things.

So, as long as you go into it with a mindset that when you make your first million, you’re not going to be driving around in the G-Wagon, and you’re gonna go to the bank like a idiot and take out $30,000 in cash so that way you can do an Instagram story where you spread all the money in your hands, and now all you do is listen to little baby in your rented G-Wagon and pop bottles at the beach club, and now your business is just on autopilot.

God will put you in your place. So, before that happens, put other things in place. I’ve already given a few, but even if you can get an older mentor, an older confidant, to look at you and be like, you ain’t doing it once is nothing special. You’re only a legend if you can do it back to back to back. That’s when you’re a legend.

Now, the last principle to tie it all together is invest early, and invest as much as you can. Here is the thing, if you make money at a young age, try to get away from you as soon as possible. I’m talking about property. I’m talking about maybe even buying some physical gold. I’m talking about things where the money can get away from you, and it’s not easy to sell. Here’s the issue sometimes, and I’m not totally opposed to it. Here’s sometimes the issue with crypto or stocks. You can buy and sell very easily. You can’t buy and sell real estate very easily.

So, buying things that aren’t actually very liquid at a young age, I think later down the line once you’re established, that can actually be a detriment. Actually, makes things a little bit more difficult, but when you’re a young age, you are your worst enemy. You’re probably the biggest reason you’re gonna mess this up. So, what you want to do is once you make money, push it away as quick as possible, because here’s the other thing. And once again, I’m talking from experience.

When you are young, and you make a lot of money, you know what people think? People don’t think, oh well done. People think you got lucky. So, there’s no point being 19 years old driving all these supercars and blah, blah, all this stuff, because you’re not impressing anyone. People just think you’re lucky, that’s it. You’re better off taking the money, investing it, and when you’re 23, you’re 25, you get to an age where people can kind of believe this has happened a little bit more.

Maybe you know you’re 22, but you’re dressed apart, and people think you’re a little older, and that’s when you can enjoy, and you can live it up, and you can do these things, because when you get out of your supercar, people will actually think that you bought that. But when you’re 19, and you look young, people will either think you got lucky, they’re going to think you invest in some pump and dumb coin, or they’re gonna think Daddy’s money. So, while you’re trying to flex, and let’s be honest, if you’re young, and you’re buying these supercars, you’re probably trying to flex, it’s not even having the intended effect.

So, just tell yourself, you know what, any money that comes in, I’m gonna invest as much as I humanly can, I’m gonna make myself solid, and I’m gonna enjoy these things a little later down the line.