₹25 lakh salary, still broke? CA’s post shows how a 10th-pass friend built more wealth

₹25 LPA, flashy car, dream home and still broke? Chartered Accountant Meenal Goel’s LinkedIn post just flipped the script on what financial success really looks like, comparing a high-earning CA with a 10th-pass entrepreneur. 

The verdict? Discipline beats degree.

In a post that’s sparked reflection among working professionals, Goel laid out a striking comparison between her friend Rohit, a chartered accountant earning ₹2.08 lakh per month, and Suresh, a class 10 graduate running a modest car rental business making ₹45,000 monthly.

At first glance, the numbers favor Rohit. But Goel breaks it down:

• Rohit’s home and car EMIs swallow ₹1 lakh/month.
• He owes ₹8 lakh in credit card debt.
• His lifestyle costs ₹80,000/month.
• His net worth? Negative ₹15 lakh.
• Meanwhile, Suresh:
• Has no EMIs, lives on ₹20,000/month.
• Saves ₹13,000, invests ₹8,000 in SIPs and ₹5,000 in FDs.
• Net worth: A healthy ₹4.5 lakh — and zero debt.

“Despite earning 4x more, Rohit is financially weaker,” Goel wrote. “Suresh, with no fancy degree, is steadily building wealth.”

The difference? Lifestyle inflation versus financial discipline.

Rohit chased status — a ₹15L car, a ₹60L home loan, constant credit card use. Suresh prioritized practicality — bought a used car upfront, rented modestly, invested steadily.

“As a CA, I can confidently say: Income ≠ Wealth. Discipline > Degree,” Goel emphasized. Her message is blunt: High income is useless without smart money management.

“We’re taught how to earn, but not how to keep money,” she warned. Her final question hits hard: “Are you building your net worth — or just your EMI list?”