'Made, not born': Dave Ramsey says 79% of US millionaires didn't receive any inheritance from their parents or family members — here's how they made the big money

Want to know what it takes to be a millionaire? Well, Ramsey Solutions went straight to the source and surveyed 10,000 of them. And some of the findings were surprising. Like: eight out of 10 invest in their company’s 401(k) plan.

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But wait. Aren’t millionaires supposed to live off Mumsy’s trust fund and coddle the family cash pile in their Martha’s Vineyard seaside homes? Not exactly — in fact, not even close. Dave Ramsey, personal finance expert and founder of Ramsey Solutions, says this myth of primarily inherited riches is “flat wrong.”

When Ramsey’s National Study of Millionaires asked where the riches came from, they found that a whopping 79% didn’t receive any inheritance from parents or other family members. Not one cent. Unpaid bills perhaps (though the study didn’t ask). But coffers of jewels and blue chip stocks? Nope.

So how did they achieve millionaire status? And more importantly, what can you do to replicate their success?

Choose the right career

The Ramsey study found that five careers produced the most millionaires: engineers, accountants, management, attorneys and teachers.