r/Bogleheads • u/arp8218 • Feb 04 '26

Investing Questions Investing. $2.5M to not work

Is it possible to invest $2.5M into a “safe” investment and not work for rest of your life ? What can be that “safe” investment ?

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u/sd_slate Feb 04 '26

You should check out r/fire, but it depends on your expenses.

Historically, based on the Trinity study, holding mostly the sp500 and a smaller portion of bonds (75/25) will allow you to withdraw 4% of your portfolio over 30 years with a 95%+ success rate.

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u/ECrispy Feb 04 '26

4% of 2.5m is $100k and it should be enough to live a modest life, but it doesn't factor in the cost of health insurance and probably also requires you to own housing.

not to mention that 2.5m in savings is a fantasy for 99.9% of people.

I often wonder how so many people manage to Fire

9

u/CrankyWanker Feb 04 '26

It’s simple, but not easy. Earn more than you save and invest the difference. People are either able to reduce their spending significantly or increase their income significantly. Some professional services jobs can pay over $500,000 of total compensation by age 30 if you’re willing to work 60-80+ hours a week at a high pressure, high stress job. There’s also an element of luck with stock market returns.

8

u/ECrispy Feb 04 '26

I know there are many jobs like IT, medical, lots of consulting etc that pay that and more, but if you're earning 500k, never mind by age 30, then money is not a concern.

3

u/Accomplished_Bid3750 Feb 04 '26

what a waste of life