13 Unbelievable Ways People Became Millionaires Without the Lottery

It’s been 14 long years since Travis McCoy wrote the song “Billionaire,” featuring vocals by Bruno Mars. While most of us want to become billionaires, just like the duo in that famous song, some at least manage to become millionaires without even hitting the jackpot lottery prize.

Although everyone may not have the same luck, you can try some of these tips and tricks, which have worked for others. Some worked quite hard, while others were lucky enough to get rich rather easily.

With grit and determination, you may at least become a millionaire, if not a billionaire. Here are 13 unbelievable ways people become millionaires without winning the lottery.

1. Million Dollar Pixels

Who could have imagined that someone could get rich by selling individual pixels? Alex Tew, a college student, began selling individual pixels on a website called “The Million Dollar Homepage.”

Advertisers purchased these individual pixels to launch mini ads, which eventually helped Alex become a millionaire. We’re unsure if you can replicate his success, but trying probably doesn’t cost much.

2. Prodigy YouTuber Makes Millions

Several people review toys on YouTube and other social media. After all, most people have kids, and great toys are sold like hotcakes.

What makes Ryan’s case special is that he not only reviews toys for a living but was only seven years old when he started. In 2018, he raked in $22 million and became the highest-paid YouTuber of that year.

3. Hunt for a Lost Hammer Leads to Roman Archaeological Find

Peter Whatling lost his hammer and was looking for it using a metal detector on his farm in Suffolk, England.

Suddenly, he found a Roman treasure trove containing 60 pounds of gold and silver items and other precious goods. The treasure was valued at $2.24 million and was promptly paid for by the British government. Never underestimate the secrets that your farmland or backyard may hold!

4. Worthless Rocks as Pets

If you thought nobody became a million by selling worthless rocks, think again. Gary Dahl began to sell smooth rocks to discerning customers with a twist — they’re, in fact, immortal pets. The creative businessman even printed instruction manuals and packed them in boxes.

Customers soon found this strategy to be hilarious, and it helped him sell more than 1.5 million rocks at a price of $4. This would have been worth quite a lot back in 1976.

5. Selling Books on Kindle

If you are a writer with big dreams, this story might inspire you to take action. Amanda Hocking had been rejected and spurned by multiple publishers until she grew tired of contacting them.

She finally self-published her novels on Kindle and sold over 150,000 copies in less than six months. By 20 months, she had earned nearly $2.5 million all by herself, with no publishing agency telling her that novels weren’t great enough to publish.

6. Cola Shares Made This Town Rich

Quincy was a struggling town during the Great Depression in the first half of the 20th century. A banker named Pat Munroe urged the town’s citizens to purchase Coca-Cola shares for $19.

The dividends not only helped the shareholders to survive crop failures and other financial disasters, but they all eventually became millionaires. This Floridan town is the richest town per capita in America, with more than 67 millionaires. Never refuse to buy shares in a company if offered by someone in the know!

7. Dirt From Ireland for Nostalgic Immigrants

Most immigrants are nostalgic about their native countries. Although they may successfully assimilate into their adopted countries, they may still wish to be covered in their nation’s soil.

Realizing this innate human longing for their native soil, Alan Jenkins began to sell Irish soil to Irish Americans so that their caskets would be covered in it. The idea was successful, and he now owns a multi-million dollar corporation.

8. Investing in Domain Names

Many people purchased common domain names in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They eventually managed to sell them for millions. Chris Clark is one such guy who registered pizza.com, later put it up for sale, and received a whopping $2.6 million.

Although the chances of you becoming a millionaire by selling domain names are reducing, you can still get creative and try to invest in some unique ones. You’ll probably get lucky someday.

9. A Rare Auto Parts Business

There are many auto enthusiasts in the world, and many own rare cars and motorcycles. However, getting them serviced is challenging. John Koon realized there was a burgeoning market for rare auto parts.

He established a company to help car enthusiasts get their rare vehicles back on the street. He quickly became a millionaire as well.

10. Furniture Business Takes Off

The story of Sean Belnick may inspire you if you are into building items for your house. Sean set up BizChair.com, an online office furniture retailer, which now reports $13.6 million in sales.

If you spend a lot of time trying to assemble furniture purchased from Ikea or somewhere else, it’s probably time to convert your hobby into a business. It just might make you a millionaire.

11. Homemade Jam Business

Who doesn’t love digging into a jar of jam in the middle of the night? Turns out, a lot of people. Fraser Doherty seemed to crack this mystery when he was 14 and used his grandmother’s recipes to start making and selling jams.

He eventually started a company called SuperJam, which made him rich and famous. It could be your one-way ticket to becoming a millionaire if you’re great at pickling or preparing jams.

12. Shades for Doggies

Dogs have very sensitive eyes and can develop corneal issues when exposed to excess sunlight. Unfortunately, dogs also love to play in the sun, and they eventually get enough sun exposure that your vet wouldn’t recommend.

Roni Di Lullo noticed a lucrative opportunity and launched the Doggles, a sort of proactive eyewear for dogs. This addresses a unique market need and helps Roni make millions.

13. Minimalist App Helps Creator Get Rich

Imagine creating an app that sends a “yo!” to your contacts and makes millions. Or Arbel did just that and attracted a lot of funding. This minimalist app went viral and helped Or get rich rather quickly.

If you can think of an ingenious way to create a simplistic app that resonates with users, you, too, can become a millionaire quickly.