Mr Money Mustache, the guru of early retirement

This former computer engineer who lives in Colorado is the apostle of the Fire method. His blog has given ideas to all those who aspire to the life of neo-annuitant.

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Mr Money Mustache (aka Peter Adeney), a former engineer, left the world of work at age 31.
Mr Money Mustache (aka Peter Adeney), a former engineer, left the world of work at age 31. MrMoneyMustache.com

The latest news, Mr Money Mustache would have traded his bacchantes for a beard of three days. But for his fans, the aura of "MMM" does not depend on the length of his hair. For a long time, the American guru of financial independence has preferred to flourish anonymously in the shadow of his blog and his avatar at the quickdraw cowboy. Success – MrMoneyMustache.com claims 1.5 million page views per month – it has been unveiled.

Behind the "young" retiree – he left the world of work in 2005, only nine years after entering it and on the eve of his 31e Anniversary, says 45-year-old Peter Adeney, a former Canadian-born computer engineer living in the residential town of Longmont, half an hour from Boulder, capital of Colorado, USA. During their short working life, Peter and his wife, also a former computer engineer, earned on average around $ 120,000 a year. That's a little less than 10,000 euros a month, a very comfortable income, but nothing exceptional in the high-tech sector.

Dividends and rents

Over the years, the couple – both from middle class families and without wealth – saved by reducing their lifestyle. No car, replaced by bike trips, few restaurants or expensive outings, a lot of housekeeping, recycling and second hand, some rare trips …

As a result, the squirrel couple saved two-thirds of their income each year, invested in a retirement savings plan and shares, despite a home loan for their principal residence and medical insurance. After nine years, in 2005, they decide to retire with $ 600,000 of investment aside, and their $ 200,000 house rented, after buying another home smaller and less expensive. Dividends and rents have allowed them to lead since a modest life. The family, which has grown a child, spends only $ 24,000 a year (about 22,000 euros).

$ 400,000 per year in advertising revenue

This success story made of discipline, material renunciation and a very pronounced taste for figures, has become an additional source of income for a Mr Money Mustache paradoxically more and more rich. Launched in 2011, his blog generates, according to him, nearly $ 400,000 a year in advertising revenue from its partners, banks and other financial services. If he donates a quarter to charity, the frugalist reinvests the rest to develop ancillary activities, training center, school, conferences to dispense his good word, but also a ceramic workshop, one of the passions of the couple to the more entrepreneurial fiber than rentier.

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