Lilian Ogbuefi

Some people earn too little to ever stop thinking about money. Others earn so much that they rarely have to. Most of us live somewhere in between: the teacher wondering if they’ll ever own a home, the small business owner with good months and bad ones, the salaried professional with a six-figure title but a five-figure cushion, even the multimillionaire questioning why wealth still doesn’t feel like freedom. People across every income level who earn well but still wonder if they’re actually wealthy. That question ( Am I rich? ) might sound self-indulgent. But it’s increasingly common across racial lines, tax brackets, and career paths. And for many people, particularly those carrying financial responsibility for others , the answer is complicated. The Prosperity Paradox On paper, you might be earning more than you ever imagined. Maybe you’ve reached a steady middle-class salary, broken into six figures, or you’re still climbing but making progress. A few years in, a few promotions...

What Black Tech Leaders Earning Millions Do Differently With Wealth And Influence The Seven-Figure Problem – Less than 0.1% of Black professionals reach a seven-figure net worth before 40. But tech is creating more Black millionaires than any industry in history. The problem isn’t making money; it’s keeping it. You’ve crossed that threshold. Startup exit, stock options, VP-level comp . You’ve joined an exclusive club that changes everything for your family. But here’s what nobody tells you: earning millions and building wealth are different games entirely. The shock of sudden wealth (what experts call sudden wealth syndrome) can disrupt even the most logical thinkers if they don’t have systems in place. The technical skills that made you successful operate on logic. Wealth operates on relationships, timing, and access to information that isn’t public. You can scale a product to millions of users, but you can’t scale personal wealth the same way. Why Your Financial Advisor Is Failing...

How Senior Black Tech Professionals Turn High Salaries Into Real Financial Power The numbers tell a compelling story. Black tech professionals who crack the six-figure barrier represent less than 3% of the industry, yet many still face the same financial challenges they did at lower income levels. If you’re reading this, you’re likely part of that elite group. You broke into tech, leveled up, earned a strong title, and an even stronger paycheck . You’re making $150,000, $180,000, maybe more. By every external measure, you’ve made it. But internally? The financial pressure hasn’t disappeared. It’s evolved. Higher tax brackets take bigger bites out of your income . The cost of living in tech hubs keeps climbing. Family financial requests carry more weight when everyone assumes you’ve “made it.” You want to invest, but lack the advanced strategies your income now demands. You’re saving, but without the wealth-building framework that turns high earners into high net worth individuals....

How mid-career Black tech professionals can turn raises into real returns. You got the raise. Maybe a title bump. Maybe equity. On paper, it’s progress. But a few pay cycles in, your spending’s up , family asks are louder, and your calendar feels less like control and more like chaos. The raise solved old problems. And surfaced new ones. Equity Means Nothing If You Don’t Understand It Equity sounds like a win until you’re staring at a vesting schedule you’ve never seen before. Mid-career is where the gaps show up: in your calendar, in your confidence, and in your checks. For Black professionals in tech, visibility is high but support is low. The infrastructure isn’t broken. It was never built for you . What AfroTech Insider Members Have That You Don’t Most people treat a raise like a reward. Insiders treat it like a runway. AfroTech Insider gives mid-career professionals the structure that raises don’t. Here’s how it works. Coaching That Levels You Up Monthly 1:1 sessions with HR...

What Black professionals need to know to make their first $15K in tech actually mean something. The tech offer letter felt like winning the lottery. After rounds of interviews and late-night prep sessions, the six-figure salary and signing bonus proved it was all worth it. But two paychecks in, reality hits. Relocation wiped out your savings. Rent in your “dream city” is three times your mom’s mortgage. Your first student loan payment just posted. And suddenly, you’re asking yourself why this win doesn’t feel more stable. Welcome to the quiet tax of upward mobility. Tech Checks Disappear Faster Than You Think Most new tech hires burn through their first $15K fast. Not because they’re careless, but because they’re isolated. No one teaches you how to structure a 401(k) when your parents never had one, or how to invest when your family expects you to “help out” now. Tech hub rent eats 40-50% of your paycheck. Professional development, conferences, and networking events cost thousands....