In a world where high salaries are often linked with luxury apartments, expensive gadgets, and flashy lifestyles, one software engineer working at Meta is choosing to live very differently. Despite earning more than Rs 2.5 crore annually, he lives in a sparsely furnished apartment without a car, couch, or television. His unusual lifestyle has now caught attention online, not because of extreme frugality alone, but because of the philosophy behind it. For him, spending less is not about sacrifice. It is about freedom, flexibility, and focusing only on what genuinely adds value to life. In an interview with Business Insider, Raymond Zeng described his living situation as intentionally minimal. The Meta software engineer, who currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, revealed that many of his friends consider his lifestyle “very Spartan.” According to Zeng, he does not own a car, a couch, or even a television despite having the financial ability to afford all of them comfortably. He explained that the decision is completely deliberate and aligns with his personal priorities.He said that he could add more furniture, but added that he could easily expand his lifestyle and spend far more money. However, he currently prefers directing his income toward investing, hobbies, and travel instead of filling his apartment with possessions he rarely uses. Zeng works as a software engineer at Meta and earns an annual salary of 306,500 dollars, which translates to more than Rs 2.5 crore per year. Reports suggest he manages to save nearly Rs 10 lakh every month through his disciplined lifestyle choices. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area around eight months ago after spending two years in Dallas. Even after relocating to one of the most expensive regions in the United States, his approach toward spending remained unchanged. According to Zeng, his apartment reflects the way he thinks about life. Rather than treating his home as a status symbol, he sees it primarily as a functional space. Instead of buying a television, he simply uses his computer because he rarely watches TV. Since he does not host guests frequently, he also feels no social pressure to decorate or furnish the apartment beyond what he genuinely needs. His bedroom setup is equally minimal. Zeng said he only keeps a bed, a blanket, a pillow, and a filing cabinet that also works as a nightstand. For many people, such a setup may appear extreme, especially considering his salary level and Silicon Valley job profile. But for Zeng, the minimalist lifestyle is not connected to deprivation. He views it as a conscious way to avoid unnecessary spending and maintain focus on experiences that feel meaningful to him.What does he prefer to spend on? He explained that travel and hobbies bring him far greater satisfaction than expensive furniture or luxury purchases. By limiting lifestyle inflation, he is also able to build financial security much faster while maintaining flexibility in how he spends his time and money.About Raymond Zeng Apart from his work at Meta, Raymond Zeng also has a strong academic background in technology. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Riverside. According to his professional profile, he has been working as an Android Engineer at Meta since July 2025 and is based in Menlo Park, California, United States.