Billionaire Dylan Taylor urges Gen Z to trade salary hikes for equity stakes

Dylan Taylor, the billionaire behind Voyager Technologies, reached millionaire status at age 27, predating Warren Buffett’s similar milestone. He tells young professionals to negotiate for equity rather than higher base pay, believing ownership yields greater long-term wealth than income alone. Taylor’s own career reflects this strategy, having accumulated wealth through public-company roles, real-estate, and stakes in firms such as Robinhood, Relativity Space and Calm.

He notes that most managers will entertain equity requests, especially in tech firms that issue options, and that even a negative answer provides useful insight. Additionally, Taylor promotes a “barbell” portfolio: roughly 70% in stable assets like the FTSE 100 and 30% in high-risk assets such as Bitcoin. The piece also references other early-wealth creators, including investor Martin Mignot and finance expert Ramit Sethi, who echo the focus on equity and consistent, low-cost investing.