‘I made £1million in four years from what started as a side hustle – here’s how I did it’ | Personal Finance | Finance

A former retail worker has turned his dream of financial independence into reality by building a £1million fortune in just four years.

A chance observation changed everything for Lewis Cromptom, 35, Norfolk. He told Express.co.uk: “When I looked at my boss’s boss, I saw a stressed-out man who wasn’t paid that well. I didn’t want that for my life.”

This realisation led him to take a risk and put half of his annual salary—£10,000—on a credit card and invest it in something that would dramatically change his career trajectory.

That £10,000 wasn’t spent on a tangible product or a startup. Instead, Mr Cromptom said he put it towards mentorship in trading, trusting that the knowledge he’d gain would give him the financial freedom he craved.

He recalled: “I never wanted to live a normal life. I wanted to be in control of my destiny, have time with my kids when I had them, and not be trapped in a nine-to-five grind.”

Within seven months of trading on the side, Mr Cromptom said: “I quit my job.”

At that point, he wasn’t earning huge sums but said he was making enough to live on—about £1,000 a month.

Mr Cromptom’s living situation was modest—renting in Paddington for £700 a month—but he supplemented his income with part-time work as a counsellor, a skill he’d gained through his sociology and theology background. Meanwhile, the trading only took 30 minutes a day.

Mr Crompton said he had always been motivated by freedom, not just money. He said: “I never really cared about being rich for the sake of being rich. I just wanted to be able to travel and live on my own terms.”

His early trading successes were enough to fund his lifestyle and his passion for travel. However, it was his desire to help others that led him to his next big venture.

After a few years of successful trading, the company that had mentored him asked if he would return the favour and start teaching others. It was during this period that he realised how much he enjoyed helping people and found a renewed sense of purpose in teaching.

He reflected: “I started teaching for them and realised I could help people in a meaningful way.”

A few years later, he launched his own educational company, Star Trading. Through his company, Mr Cromptom said he teaches others using the methods that made him successful. He believes in a low-risk, high-reward approach, encouraging the tactic of starting small.

He explained: “No matter how much money someone has, I tell them to never start with more than £1,000. You need to make mistakes on small sums, not large ones.”

Another key principle he follows is to invest in education. He said: “Trading is a skill set, not gambling.

“I’m a big believer in education in general, maybe because both my parents are teachers, so education runs in my blood. But I think when it comes to any form of skill – and trading is a skill set – if it’s not a skill set, then it’s gambling, and you can do it one of either way.

“You can either do it as a form of investing and as a skill set, or you can just be a gambler, and gamblers tend to lose money – and you don’t want that. So find someone you trust to actually want you to do well and teach you how to do well.”

In just four years and now residing in Norfolk, Mr Cromptom has made his first million, largely through property and growing the business. He said: “It felt amazing. I remember when the business did its first half a million, it was incredible,” though he said it was always more about the impact than the money.

Mr Cromptom said: “I want to help a million families live with less stress and more fun through financial empowerment and education.”

He added: “You have to learn the skills yourself. That’s the only way to be truly successful in the long term.”