The stereotype of most American millionaires is that their time behind the wheel is spent in Ferraris, Bentleys, and six-figure SUVs. But one of the most enduring studies of wealthy Americans found something much less glamorous parked in their driveways: Toyota Camrys and Ford pickups.
Entrepreneurs who are proud of their success tend to have lots of thoughts about the habits of successful people, which is what we get in a recent TikTok from creator Brian Luebben (@brianluebben), a podcaster and real estate investor who said he spent his early business years traveling in a Camry.
“You get to where you're going through driving the Camry and putting all the money back into investments and assets and into your business so that your business can actually scale and grow,” he said in the clip that’s been viewed more than 660,000 times. “Eventually you have so many assets that they produce the passive income that then allow you to have a car payment paid for from your assets.”
What Do Millionaires Drive?
The data being referenced in the video comes from a book published 30 years ago that has grown to be a must-read for budding entrepreneurs. When researchers Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko published The Millionaire Next Door in 1996, they drew on years of data from affluent households, looking find out how ordinary Americans who don’t come from legacy families build great wealth.
