I first got the idea for this blog back in March 2019 after reading the chilling report from Prosperity Now that projects median Black wealth to hit zero by 2053. All I could do was think of my forbearers; my late paternal-grandmother who spent most of her life on-and-off public assistance despite working in a school cafeteria; and my late maternal-grandfather, who worked multiple-jobs for fifty years and ultimately had nothing to show for it. I thought about my mother’s friends, high-income earning professionals like her, who despite “achieving the American dream” are squeezed on both sides – often caring for their parents’ health and paying their bills while simultaneously watching with a bit of horror as their adult children struggle to find their economic place in an increasingly rigged world.
Ultimately, my thoughts coalesced around two questions:
(1) How in the world had Black wealth become so fragile, even among those who’d seemingly “made it?”
(2) What will I do to help?
I’m embarrassed to admit that for almost two years, outwardly at least, I did nothing. Typical excuses abound – life happened, I got busy, I forgot. But underneath all that was a fear that other personal finance bloggers were already answering these questions, thus leaving no room for yet another blog. And as I poked around the many awesome, Black-run personal finance blogs out there, I noticed a few things:
- We are on our hustle, and the hustle is strong.
- Despite the hustle, there are still too few Black voices in the personal finance conversation, particularly when it comes to FIRE (financial independence / retire early).
- Much of the conversations I observed focus on debt elimination first, which is a critical part of building wealth but not to be over-emphasized to the detriment of true wealth creation.
- There’s room for more depth, for first-hand experiences from folks who have and are achieving the unlikely. Someone needs to “show their receipts” so to speak and be radically open about how they got it done.
That’s where Unlikely Statistic – and I – come in.
I did my undergraduate studies at an Ivy League university, graduating with an economics degree. I then spent over two years on Wall Street, lost everything as a first-time entrepreneur, and went on to get an MBA and a law degree cum laude to regain my footing. I’ve been working at a Fortune 500 company for the past 4.5 years alongside my spouse, also employed within the F500. And in that time, we’ve gone from $50,000 in savings to $1,000,000.
Unlikely Statistic will give a radically open view into our journey to $1,000,000 (and growing) in investable assets. It will focus specifically on my experiences on Wall Street and as a personal investor and as a Black professional in Corporate America to provide you the most helpful insights and even roadmaps whenever possible to help you accelerate your wealth.
I will write for now under the pseudonym Mr. Unlikely because I’m still employed, and honestly, I was raised with a healthy dose of paranoia. I remember my mother telling me the story of a White colleague who came over to our house for dinner, and all she could do was marvel at the “nice cars” in the carport and the “big clean [yes, she said clean!] house” we called home. That colleague was never the same around my mother after that dinner.
Should the time come, however, I’ll happily reveal the man behind the moniker.
For now, welcome, and I’m so excited that together we will be unlikely.
Signed,
Mr. Unlikely
P.S. – feel free to get in touch with me. My email is hello@unlikelystatistic.com.