Picture this: you’ve just been offered a job after endless rounds of interviews and tests, when the interviewer asks, “What are your salary requirements?” According to one billionaire, the number you should be asking for isn’t a salary at all.
Dylan Taylor, the founder of space-tech company Voyager Technologies, became a millionaire at 27—five years before Warren Buffett hit the same milestone. His advice for Gen Z hoping to grow their wealth in the current economy? Stop negotiating for a bigger paycheck, and start negotiating for equity instead.
“I think it’s very difficult to make a lot of money working for somebody,” Taylor tells Fortune. “There’s two different ways to make money: income and equity. Whether you’re an employee or a founder, I think you should push for more equity and less income. That’s really what compounds over time.”
It’s advice Taylor took himself, long before he made his fortune in space. “I always wanted equity as opposed to higher base salary,” he says of the employment deals he negotiated early in his career. “I think that ended up being very wise.”
It did indeed. Taylor made his millions running public companies across electronics, finance and banking, while also investing in real estate and various companies including Robinhood, Relativity Space, and Calm.
Now, thanks to the return on investments he made from his twenties and Voyager’s IPO, he’s a billionaire.
Fortune reviewed a summary of his financial records, which verifies his billionaire status.
How entry-level workers can ask for equity instead of a raise
Taylor’s advice isn’t just for founders or executives with leverage to spare—he says even a 24-year-old, a few years into their career, can ask for equity over income. Not only that, but he says most employers would be impressed because it shows how seriously you’re invested in their firm.
“If someone came to you and said, ‘I actually want to make less money, but I want more of the value we create together’—I think most bosses, assuming they’re not totally insecure and see this person as a threat, would welcome that.”
Most managers, he adds, are open to that conversation even if they don’t personally have the authority to approve it. “They might have to run it up to the next level, but from a company standpoint, it makes a lot of sense, too. With equity, you only really pay on success.”
Not every industry will bite, Taylor admits. “If you’re working for an industrial valve company in Newcastle, I’m not sure you’d be able to do that. But if it’s a tech company, they’re issuing options—so there’s no reason why you can’t ask the question.”
And even if the answer is no, he says, that’s still useful information for both you and your future boss.
“You could just say, ‘Okay, well, at what point would I be eligible?’ I think it really reframes you in their mind. It’s like, this is someone who’s focused on creating value. I think it’s good signaling.”
His other piece of advice for young people trying to build wealth is almost as bold as asking bosses for equity: a barbell investing strategy. That is, putting the bulk of your money somewhere safe, and a smaller slice somewhere genuinely risky with potentially higher returns. “As crazy as it sounds, you’d have 70% of your money in the FTSE 100, and 30% in Bitcoin,” he adds. “It seems crazy, but I think those strategies work.”
He’s not alone: Martin Mignot and Ramit Sethi became millionaires before turning 30 thanks to early investments
Taylor isn’t the only self-made millionaire telling Gen Z to chase equity over income
Martin Mignot, the first investor in Deliveroo, similarly became a millionaire before turning 30. While other twenty-somethings were climbing the corporate ladder, he was busy investing in some of Europe’s most iconic startups, including Revolut, Trainline and Personio. By his late 20s, the millennial had cemented his reputation as one of the industry’s most notable investors—and made his first millions along the way.
He’s now a partner at Index Ventures—the firm behind early bets on Figma, Scale AI, and Wiz—and his advice for Gen Z boils down to the exact same principle as Taylor’s.
“It’s about owning equity, that is the key,” he previously told Fortune. “The best career accelerator you can have is joining a Revolut, Robinhood, or Figma early enough—and you don’t have to be the first employee. If you’re employee 100 or 200, you’re going to make a lot of money.”
And for those who don’t work for a company that offers stock options, Netflix’s finance guru Ramit Sethi, the New York Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, recommends a far less glamorous strategy: automate your investments into a low-cost index fund, then leave it completely alone.
“Timing the market is for suckers,” he told Fortune. “Treat your investments like a Thanksgiving dinner. Put the turkey in the oven, close it, and let it cook for the next 30 years.”
“When you’re young, you have one luxury that no one else has, and that is the luxury of time,” he added. “When it comes to investing, time is one of the most powerful allies to live a rich life and grow your investments. So one of the most important things is to be consistently investing even $50 a month, starting from as young as possible.”
In today’s competitive job market, the traditional approach to salary negotiation may need a rethink, particularly for Gen Z workers. Dylan Taylor, founder of Voyager Technologies and a self-made billionaire by the age of 27, suggests that young professionals should prioritize negotiating for equity over a higher salary. He argues that equity, rather than income, is what compounds wealth over time, making it a more advantageous choice for long-term financial success.
Taylor emphasizes that while many people view income as the primary route to wealth, there are fundamentally two ways to earn money: income and equity. He believes that employees should focus on securing equity in their roles, which can lead to greater wealth accumulation in the long run. Reflecting on his own career, Taylor recalls that he always negotiated for equity instead of a higher base salary, a strategy he believes was pivotal to his financial success.
Taylor’s wealth stems from his leadership in various public companies and his savvy investments in businesses such as Robinhood, Relativity Space, and Calm, along with real estate ventures. His financial acumen has been validated through the review of his financial records, confirming his billionaire status.
Taylor’s advice is not limited to high-level executives but is applicable even to entry-level employees. He encourages young workers—like those in their early twenties—to ask for equity during negotiations. This approach can impress employers as it demonstrates a commitment to the company’s success. Taylor suggests that most managers would welcome such a conversation, as equity compensation aligns their interests with those of the employees, promoting a culture of shared success.
While Taylor acknowledges that not all industries may be receptive to this request, particularly traditional sectors, tech companies often have established structures for issuing equity. Even if an employer cannot provide equity immediately, discussing eligibility timelines can signal ambition and a focus on value creation, which enhances the employee’s standing in the employer’s eyes.
In addition to negotiating for equity, Taylor advocates for a barbell investment strategy, which involves allocating a significant portion of investments to safe assets while reserving a smaller percentage for high-risk, high-reward opportunities. For instance, he suggests that one might place 70% of their funds in stable investments like the FTSE 100 and 30% in more volatile assets like Bitcoin. This approach, while seemingly unconventional, is designed to balance risk and stability in building wealth.
Taylor isn’t the only advocate for this shift in mindset. Martin Mignot, an early investor in Deliveroo, also became a millionaire in his twenties by investing in notable startups such as Revolut and Figma. Mignot echoes Taylor’s sentiment, reinforcing that owning equity is crucial. He points out that joining a rapidly growing tech company at any stage can be a significant career accelerator, not just for early employees.
For individuals who may not have access to equity options within their current employment, finance expert Ramit Sethi suggests a more traditional investment strategy: automating contributions to low-cost index funds. Sethi emphasizes the importance of consistent, long-term investing and views time as a crucial asset for young investors. He encourages starting early, even with modest amounts, to take advantage of compound growth over the years.
In summary, the advice from Taylor, Mignot, and Sethi emphasizes a shift from traditional salary negotiations to equity-focused discussions and strategic investing. For young professionals, the combination of negotiating for equity and adopting a disciplined investment strategy can pave the way for wealth accumulation and financial independence. By prioritizing equity over income and leveraging the power of time in investing, Gen Z can set themselves on a path to significant financial growth.
