Last Friday night (12th September), just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I found myself refreshing my Interactive Brokers app like a kid waiting for Santa. Tesla had just broken out, and I had a hunch something big was about to happen.

Then I saw it: $990,000.

At that point, I knew it was only just minutes and seconds away before the magical seven-digit number appears. And when it did- $1,000,000- my portfolio officially joined the millionaire club.

This wasn’t my first time seeing a seven-digit figure (my net worth crossed that earlier). But this time, it felt different. This was the portfolio itself – built brick by brick, trade by trade – finally crossing into 7-zero territory.

Lessons from Riding the Tesla Rollercoaster

Being a Tesla investor is not for the weak-hearted. I’ve survived Elon Musk’s tweetstorms, sensational headlines, and more volatility than a rollercoaster at Universal Studios.

Back in 2019, I sold off all my Singapore stocks and rebuilt my portfolio with just a handful of U.S. names. Why? Because in my mid-30s, chasing FIRE by 40, I knew diversification alone wouldn’t get me there. I needed focus. I needed conviction.

So I doubled down on Tesla. Today it makes up about close to 50% of my portfolio, while the rest sits in companies like Palantir, Amazon, and CATL (the battery giant that even Tesla buys from).

Many analysts call Tesla “overpriced.” But most of their valuation models doesn’t go beyond 5 years citing reasons like hard to value and predict. I’m betting on what comes after that: humanoid robots, full self-driving. That’s what I call disruptive innovation. And that’s what keeps me holding through the noise.

Living the Tesla Dream

A few days after hitting $1M, I pulled the trigger on something I’ve been dreaming about for years — I bought a Tesla Model 3.

Since my COE will be expiring in less than four years away, I sold my current car while it was in good condition and placed the order, all on the same day. Delivery is expected in November this year.

What makes this special isn’t just owning the car. It’s knowing I could afford it without touching my stocks. That, to me, feels like a milestone in itself.

The first time I test-drove it, I couldn’t stop smiling. The car is sleek, minimalistic, futuristic – every part feels like it was designed with first principles thinking. You can literally sense Elon’s fingerprints in every detail.

And here’s the kicker: on the very same night I pulled the trigger on my Tesla Model 3, Elon Musk himself doubled down on Tesla shares. Talk about timing. It felt like the universe was giving me a wink – him buying billions, me buying four wheels. Different scale, same conviction.

Portfolio & Net Worth Snapshot

Beyond dollar costs averaging Tesla and QQQ shares on a monthly basis, I’ve also been disciplined in paying down my property loan. The recent drop in SORA rates has been a tailwind too, easing the burden. On top of that, I discovered that my outstanding loan was actually less than I had initially calculated, which gave me an additional mental boost.

Here are the numbers!

• Stock Portfolio: ~$1,050,000
• Crypto: ~$79,923
• SRS: $77,000
• Cash: ~$110,000
• Unlisted Securities: ~$700,000
• Property Value (Equity Value): ~$606,901

Total net worth= $2.62mil

Reflections

As I write this from Silverkris Lounge, waiting for my midnight flight to Beijing and then Seoul, I can’t help but reflect. This trip is a mix of a short company journey and some rest in Seoul before heading back to work, with Tokyo still waiting as my final holiday of the year.

This has been one of the most challenging years of my life, yet also one of the most meaningful. Despite the struggles, I’ve been grateful for the chance to travel, to rest, and to keep pushing forward in both work and life.

This year hasn’t been easy – it’s been full of sweat, blood, and yes, a few tears. But moments like this remind me why I keep pushing. The $1M milestone isn’t a finish line; it’s a checkpoint.

The lesson? Don’t get complacent. Keep going and echoing Elon Musk’s quote:

So here’s to the next milestone. See the future. Do it anyway.

And how about you? How’s your journey going?