A 24-year-old Meta software engineer earning more than US$300,000 a year has revealed an extreme frugal lifestyle as he races towards financial freedom before turning 30, according to Sing Tao Headline, a sister publication of The Standard.
The Bay Area-based engineer, Raymond Zeng, reportedly takes home a total compensation of around US$306,000 (about HK$2.4 million) annually, but says he is aggressively cutting expenses under the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement.
Despite his high-paying tech job, Zeng lives with minimal furnishings in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, with no television, no car, and only basic household items. He relies mainly on walking, company transport shuttles, and occasional ride-hailing services.
His rent is about US$2,600 a month, and his food spending is tightly controlled, with groceries and dining expenses kept to a few hundred dollars. He also benefits from free meals provided by his employer.
Zeng said he saves and invests a large portion of his income, sometimes putting aside up to US$20,000 in a single month depending on bonuses and stock awards. He typically sells all Meta shares he receives, citing concerns over stock volatility.
Around 80 percent of his investments are placed in US index funds, with the rest in global markets, as he tracks his finances through detailed spreadsheets, monitoring every expense and projected growth.
He estimates that if his strategy holds, he could accumulate more than US$2 million by age 30 and potentially exceed US$7 million by 40.
While tech layoffs continue to hit Silicon Valley, Zeng said he remains confident he can always find another job. He added that although he is targeting early retirement, he may still continue working if he enjoys the role.
He has also floated the idea of spending part of his “retirement” living in Asia, including Singapore, though he says visa restrictions may limit long-term relocation plans.
