I built a $1.5m investment portfolio in 5 years. Here’s how

Richard Ye is on his way to $5 million with a no-frills strategy involving low-cost ETFs and dollar-cost averaging.

Richard Ye spends about $1800 a year to get the information he needs to manage his investments. Eamon Gallagher

Andrew HobbsWealth reporter

Updated Jul 17, 2025 – 2.34pm, first published at 5.00am

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Richard Ye is on his way to building a $5 million portfolio, all without paying a cent for professional advice.

The Melbourne-based investor, who only began his no-frills strategy five years ago, has already exceeded his initial goal of $1 million – he’s at $1.5 million. And he has one simple piece of advice: “Learn and be humble.”

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

License article

Introducing your Newsfeed

Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.

Find out more

Andrew HobbsWealth reporterAndrew Hobbs covers self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), financial planning, retirement, inheritance, tax, personal finance and, sometimes, the Perth Bears. He has been a financial journalist for 30 years, previously at Bloomberg and AAP.