How I'd Become Financially Independent Fast With Self Publishing

About this video

Sean lays out a hypothetical, not-financial-advice plan to reach financial independence in under three years with self-publishing — a concept he stresses over exact numbers, which depend on tax, inflation and market returns. Step one is growing publishing income to $20,000/month profit by publishing more evergreen (not seasonal) books and building a brand. As proof it is possible, he cites his own claim of doing it and an Empire Flippers listing he shows: a KDP business listed at $894,000, making $23,000/month profit, started April 4, 2020, run by a 24-year-old. Step two is extreme frugality and investing the surplus in index funds, preferring VOO: in his example, $240,000/year profit taxed at 35% leaves $156,000, living on $24,000/year ($2,000/month) leaves $132,000/year to invest. Step four is keeping the business or selling it at a 40x multiple for about $800,000 — he says he sold his for $820,000 — which at 20% long-term capital gains leaves $640,000. Combined with prior savings that totals $772,000 invested. Using VOO’s cited 9.55% compound annual return over 30 years, rounded to 10%, minus 2.67% average inflation, he calculates about $45,000/year after tax ($3,750/month) could be taken from gains without touching principal, linked to the FIRE 4% rule idea. Step six is moving to a cheaper place such as Bali, Thailand, Mexico or Portugal; waiting 10 years instead, he says the portfolio could exceed $2 million.

Key takeaways

• Target $20,000/month profit from evergreen KDP books, not seasonal trend-chasing, as the engine of the plan
• Live frugally — his example is $2,000/month — and invest the surplus consistently in index funds like VOO
• A $20,000/month business could sell at a roughly 40x multiple for about $800,000, based on his claimed $820,000 sale
• His illustrative math: $772,000 invested at ~10% average return, adjusted for inflation and tax, yields about $45,000/year from gains
• Geo-arbitrage in lower-cost countries and letting the portfolio compound longer are presented as ways to make the income go further

Episode details: published February 3, 2023 · 15:22 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Sean Dollwet’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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