4 Ridiculous Ways Millionaires Got Rich Quick — Can They Work for You?
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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There are tried and true ways of getting rich, like investing steadily and saving consistently, and then there are, what you might call “ridiculous” ways of getting rich — the unusual, the outlandish and the unlikely.
Though these moves may not be for everyone, there’s value in looking at some of these more unusual ways millionaires made their money to see if they can work for you, too.
Bold Viral Stunts
“MrBeast” the professional moniker of a YouTuber named Jimmy Donaldson, with a current net worth now pushing toward $1 billion, may just be the most extreme example of an influencer getting rich from his viral content.
He began by uploading extreme, attention-grabbing videos (such as “counting to 100,000,” and large giveaways) and then scaled that into multiple revenue streams like ad revenue, merchandise and more.
The lesson: While it’s not an easily replicable model, there’s certainly something to be said for being big, bold and creative in how you get people’s attention.
TikTok Makeup Artist-Turned-Millionaire
A former Ulta employee who’d just been laid off in March 2020, Mikayla Nogueira started posting makeup tutorials, product reviews and candid beauty content when much of the United States was on lockdown due to the pandemic. She was known to try any and every viral make-up trend and leaned into her own inherent creativity and artistry.
That coupled with being a fresh new face on TikTok quickly won her an audience of tens of millions, leading to a career as a beauty influencer with brand deals and a make-up line. Her earnings entered the millions in less than two years.
The lesson: When one door closes, another one often opens into the wildly unexpected. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that your hobby is silly or not worth pursuing.
10-Year-Old Lollipop Executive
While candy is certainly a popular concept, most people would be hard pressed to imagine how you could turn a single item — lollipops — into a million-dollar company. Better yet, that the mastermind behind it would be a 10-year-old girl (at the time). The inspiration for Alina Morse’s company Zolli Candy followed her disappointment when her father told her that a lollipop was bad for her teeth. Thinking with the logic of a child she said, then why can’t there be a lollipop that is good for people’s teeth?
A lot of research, taste testing and support later, Zollipops would go on to sell millions of the unique candy across thousands of stores.
The lesson: Don’t take no for an answer, think outside the box and don’t let inexperience hold you back.
Twinfluencers Matching Success
In 2020, when a lot of people were forced to spend more time indoors and at home than ever before thanks to the pandemic, influencers saw a meteoric rise as social media held much of the world hostage briefly.
Twin influencer duo Alex and Alen Stokes, now 23, went viral simply by posting videos of themselves in matching outfits. It didn’t hurt that the “twinfluencers” are handsome and camera friendly.
They’ve been able to parlay that early success into sustainable earnings, ranking in Forbes’ Top Creators in 2025, with reported earnings of around $20 million.
The lesson: You can’t make yourself a twin if you aren’t one, so this one doesn’t necessarily translate to success for the average person, but it does remind anyone that you never know what will go viral. You might as well try.
While the success of at least three of these millionaires depended on social media, employing tried-and-true strategies like consistent saving, investing early and reinvesting profits can still build lasting wealth without going viral.
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