Meta Engineer Targets Retirement Before 30 With $1.6 Million FIRE Plan

FIRE is a personal-finance strategy that pursues financial independence and early retirement through high savings rates and long-term investing. The Meta software engineer earns about $300,000 a year. Faced with the risks posed by the AI transition and technology-sector layoffs, the engineer has kept living costs low and contributed to retirement accounts such as a 401(k), building a financial safety net independent of employment.

The engineer recently said they live without a car in the United States and spend only about $4,000 a month, while directing income aggressively into retirement accounts and other investments. The goal is to retire before age 30 after accumulating $1.6 million in assets. Based on the stated salary and expenses, the engineer could retain more than $250,000 a year, though the outcome will still depend on taxes and investment returns.