Small Starts, Big Bucks: Six Americans Who Built Million-Dollar 401(k)s

Six Americans—Mary Woulf, Joy El-Amin, Richard Eckman, Elisa Brown, Bruce Scott, and Jackie Borja—built $1 million retirement portfolios through decades of consistent 401(k) (and IRA) contributions, generous employer matches, and staying invested, even on modest salaries. The stories illustrate that starting early, saving 10–15% of pre‑tax income, maximizing matches, avoiding withdrawals, and keeping money in the market can yield seven‑figure balances; Fidelity notes a mid-2026 record of 769,000 401(k) millionaires. The piece also highlights risks like job changes and account forgetting, and emphasizes treating retirement funds as money for your future self.