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A Brisbane man has left Aussies stunned by revealing how much his business turns over a year

A man has left Aussies in complete disbelief after revealing just how much his business turns over in a year.

The Australian dream for most people is ‘sadly over’

A Brisbane man has left Aussies stunned and in disbelief by revealing how much his business turns over a year.

The unassuming man was walking through Brisbane’s CBD wearing a singlet and shorts when he was stopped by the popular job-matching app Getahead and asked what he did for a living.

“I own my own business and probably turn over about $4 million a year,” he said.

In general, the term “turnover” usually means the income a business has made but is separate from profit, so while the man’s business could be turning over millions, it is unclear what salary he pays himself.

The business owner then revealed that he runs a window tinting service and has been doing it for 25 years.

“Just started off kicking a milk crate around and tinting cars as a young fella,” he explained.

He has been working in the industry for 25 years. Picture: TikTok/GetAHeadApp
He has been working in the industry for 25 years. Picture: TikTok/GetAHeadApp
The man's turnover admission shocked. Picture: TikTok/GetAHeadApp
The man's turnover admission shocked. Picture: TikTok/GetAHeadApp

MORE: Australia’s highest-paying jobs

He then explained that his company does commercial and residential work and he takes a more traditional approach when hiring.

He said that when looking for employees, he mainly seeks “honesty and a good personality” rather than posting job ads on websites, and that he tends to use “word of mouth” to find staff.

“We have done a bit of SEEK and stuff before and that but hasn’t been that successful to be honest,” he explained.

The business owner’s money admission left Aussies in the comments in disbelief.

“Am I the only one not making millions a year?” one asked.

“What,” another wrote.

“Yeah right,” someone else scoffed.

“I would never have thought tinting would do that turnover. Well done though,” another praised.

Man shocks with wild salary

MORE: A guide to the average salary in Australia

Despite the shock over the business’s $4 million claim, according to financial comparison website Finder, being a millionaire in Australia isn’t as uncommon as you might imagine.

In 2024, Finder commissioned a survey of 1008 Australians who are actively increasing their wealth through investments in various assets.

Astonishingly, one in eight Australians — roughly 2.8 million people — are millionaires, one of the highest proportions globally, and that figure is expected to rise sharply over the next five years.

Many of these millionaires have landed in this once-elusive club simply because the value of their homes has grown. The number of millionaires drops to 1.1 million when the value of the principal place of residence is removed from net wealth calculations.

Aussie investors with more than $1 million in net wealth are much more likely to have at least one passive income source. An impressive 85 per cent of investors with more than $1 million earn interest on their savings, compared to just 48 per cent of non-investing Australians.

There's a millionaire trend happening in Aus. Picture: iStock
There's a millionaire trend happening in Aus. Picture: iStock

Money expert Sarah Megginson said that building wealth is a top priority for Australians because people are keen to achieve financial security.

“Money can be such a source of stress and everyday Aussies want to know how higher-earners achieved their financial security,” she said.

Ms Megginson said that while you shouldn’t live above your budget, adopting rich-person habits isn’t a bad idea.

“A lot of the habits and tactics of the rich are very practical things that can be implemented no matter how much you earn,” she said.

Ms Megginson said comparing yourself to others isn’t always helpful, and starting where you are is more effective – even if that means investing just $10 a week.

“Reaching that coveted millionaire status might feel out of reach, but many investors started with nothing,” she said.

“Starting with accessible options like ETFs, looking into the tax benefits and suitability of salary sacrificing, or saving an extra amount every week can make a big difference when compounded over years and decades.

“Building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint. The sooner you cross the starting line, the better off you will be later in the race.”

Originally published as A Brisbane man has left Aussies stunned by revealing how much his business turns over a year

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/business/work/at-work/a-brisbane-man-has-left-aussies-stunned-by-revealing-how-much-his-business-turns-over-a-year/news-story/271b4d1212cfecbe61d868d1999d460d