How to Get Richer Than 99% of Canadians

So you want to join the top 1% of Canada’s wealthiest? It’s not just about working harder. It’s about shifting your mindset, building systems that scale, and taking calculated risks.

Through our financial planning work at Blueprint, I’ve seen these patterns up close. I’ll show you what the top 1% do differently from the other 99% —and in this blog post, I’ll break down the five levers they pull and how you can start using them today.

The Top 1% Benchmark

To know where you’re going, you need a benchmark. The Parliamentary Budget Officer put the 1% household wealth threshold at $7.3M in 2021 — about $8.5M today after adjusting for inflation.

For a single person, that number is lower. Households benefit from shared housing, pensions, and expenses, so it doesn’t make sense to simply cut the threshold in half. Scaling it to about 40% of the household figure gives a more realistic estimate of roughly $3.4M.

What about age? There’s no official “1% by age” data, but we can estimate by scaling average Canadian net worth. Here’s how the benchmarks look in 2024:

Caveat: these aren’t official numbers — I scaled them from average net worth by age. But the pattern makes sense:

• Under 35: $1M already puts you in the top 1% as an individual. Few reach it without entrepreneurship, tech windfalls, or extreme saving.
  
• 35–44: The bar more than doubles as careers peak, incomes rise, and home equity builds.
  
• 45–54: Peak accumulation years. Investments compound, businesses mature, and many hit 1% status here.
  
• 55–64: Wealth maxes out — fully paid-off homes, long-term compounding, and business exits drive it higher.
  
• 65+: A small dip, since retirees draw down assets, but wealth stays high compared to younger groups.
  

Now compare that with the averages. The typical Canadian household has around $1 million in net worth in 2024, while the typical individual sits closer to $400K. That’s about an 8 or 9 times above average net worth of the average Canadian for the top 1%. 

The numbers are high, but that’s why they are the top 1%! I didn’t say this would be easy, but let’s now look at the levers the 1% pull:

Lever 1: Income

Your earning power is the first lever that separates average families from the wealthy. And the gap shows up clearly in the numbers.

In 2024, the bottom 20% income earners of Canadian families averaged about $375,000 in net worth. The top 20%? Over $2.2 million. 

So how do you move up the ladder? There are three main income routes:

1. High-paying careers — medicine, software, finance, law, senior trades with leadership. These bring strong cash flow but limited scalability.
   
2. Hybrid employment with equity — roles where stock options or profit-sharing multiply your base salary. Senior sales, finance, and tech are prime examples.
   
3. Business ownership and scalability — where upside can grow exponentially. And this is where AI and the digital economy can really change the game. Today, individuals can scale income in ways that used to be impossible: software with tiny teams, content creation that reaches millions, e-commerce with global reach, digital products, or franchising that multiplies a proven model. The leverage comes from code, capital, media, and teams — not just your hours.

A clear example is Prem Watsa — the “Canadian Warren Buffett.” He arrived from India in 1972 with almost nothing, sold insurance door-to-door to fund his MBA, and started as an analyst. In 1985, he bought a struggling insurance company and grew it into Fairfax Financial, and is today a billionaire. His story proves the power of shifting from employee to owner — and why scalable equity bets matter more than hours worked.

Lever 2: Investing

Earning alone rarely gets you to the 1%. The real separator is how you invest. Think of income as fuel, but investing is the engine that multiplies it. The top 1% don’t just park money in a savings account — they take calculated risks that give them ownership in assets that can compound far beyond a salary.

At the broadest level, the rules remain timeless: stay invested, keep fees low, and let compounding work over decades. But once a foundation is built, the wealthy accelerate growth by owning businesses, property, and equity stakes. That’s why household wealth in Canada is so skewed by real estate:

By 2024, the average homeowner had about $1.38M in wealth versus just $274K for renters — a fivefold difference. Property acts like a leveraged business: debt gets paid down while the underlying asset grows. That’s the kind of dynamic the top 1% lean into.

But they don’t stop there. Many of Canada’s wealthiest built their fortunes through private businesses or by reinvesting profits into growth ventures. Whether it’s a small company that expands steadily or a stake in a fast-scaling startup, business equity is the single largest driver of ultra-high net worth.

Think of someone like Jim Pattison, one of Canada’s wealthiest, who built his empire from a single car dealership into a conglomerate spanning groceries, media, and packaging. The takeaway: starting a business, even small, can snowball into massive wealth if you reinvest profits instead of cashing out early.

Pro Tip: For most Canadians, equities are the simplest way to tap into ownership without running a business. But if you want to push toward 1% territory, look for ways to create or buy into businesses and property, not just consume them. That’s where leverage, compounding, and calculated risk come together. 

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Lever 3: Discipline

Think of yourself as the CEO of your finances. A CEO doesn’t guess — they know their numbers. Your net worth, your savings rate, your debt, your investable surplus, and your forward forecast. That’s your dashboard. Without it, you’re just hoping things work out.

Now here’s the truth: your savings rate is perhaps the single most powerful lever you control. It decides how much fuel your wealth engine gets. A high earner with discipline can hit $6 million over time. The same earner with weak savings habits? They’ll never come close.

Discipline doesn’t just mean willpower. It means building systems. Automate contributions on payday so saving happens before spending. Put guardrails around lifestyle creep so your costs don’t inflate with your income. Do quarterly reviews so you’re always steering, never drifting.

And don’t overlook time. The wealthy treat their calendars like investments. They batch tasks, cut the low-value work, and say no far more than they say yes. Every hour they protect compounds into better decisions and better returns.

That’s why a lot of our clients come to Blueprint. They’re high performers with more income than time, and they know that complexity is the silent killer of wealth and lifestyle. Taxes, investing, financial planning — if you try to do it all yourself, you’re paying with your most valuable asset: time. We help simplify and systemize it, so you can focus on what matters most. If that’s where you are right now, book a discovery call with us to to see how our fee-for service planning works. 

Finally, remember — discipline isn’t just financial. Keep compounding your skills in AI, automation, negotiation, and tax literacy. Just like money, knowledge compounds when you keep adding to it.

Lever 4: Taxes

Taxes can quietly eat more of your wealth than anything else. For most Canadians, they’re the single biggest expense — bigger than housing, bigger than food. The wealthy don’t accept that. They treat taxes as an opponent, and they build systems to minimize the drag.

Start with the basics. TFSA first, then RRSP. Add the FHSA if you’re eligible, RESP if you’ve got kids. These aren’t just nice extras — they’re legal shelters that can save you tens of thousands over time.

Step into entrepreneurship and the game changes. A corporation turns income into a tax strategy and an investment engine. Leave profits inside, reinvest them, and you’re compounding on money that would have otherwise gone to the CRA. That’s how small business owners and franchise operators quietly multiply wealth.

Pro tip: For high earners with a corporation, consider an IPP (Individual Pension Plan) for larger deductions, which is kind of like an RRSP on steroids. 

Timing is another lever. The order you draw down accounts, when you trigger CPP or OAS, even how you split income with a spouse — those choices alone can add up to hundreds of thousands over a retirement horizon.

And for advanced players? In a digital world, more of our clients are structuring abroad or spending significant time outside Canada. Done right, geoarbitrage can greatly reduce tax drag.

Lever 5: Network

Your network often determines how far you go financially. The best opportunities — the promotions, the referrals, the business partnerships — usually don’t show up on job boards. They come through people: mentors, colleagues, partners, even chance introductions.

The wealthy understand this, so they stay visible, useful, and reliable. They build trust by delivering results, and they raise their hand for projects that create leverage. Over time, this reputation compounds — opening doors to better jobs, higher-paying clients, and investment opportunities that most people never even hear about.

A strong network also helps you avoid costly mistakes. A single conversation with the right person can save years of trial and error, or point you toward an opportunity you wouldn’t have spotted on your own.

And it’s not about collecting business cards or adding LinkedIn connections. It’s about building genuine relationships where both sides win. The 1% play the long game: they mentor others, share ideas, and stay connected even when there’s no immediate payoff.

That’s why your network is one of your biggest financial assets. Skills and effort matter — but the right relationships can multiply both.

Paths to the 1%

Where you start shapes which path makes sense:

• Early career or lower income: Focus on skills and habits. Auto-invest even $50 a month. Seek roles with upside — commission, bonuses, or equity. Learn AI, automation, and negotiation to multiply earning power. Keep debt in check and plan for sensible homeownership.
  
• Mid-income and stabilizing: Now it’s about structure. Max TFSA, add RRSP if the bracket justifies it. Negotiate equity at work and set quarterly money reviews. Test a side business or rental if it fits your skills.
  
• High income with surplus cash: Time to formalize. Target a savings rate and write down an investment policy. If you run a business, get serious about corporate planning. Push for equity wherever possible. Protect your time by outsourcing where it saves you focus.
  

And wherever you are: calculate your net worth and savings rate today, automate contributions, review quarterly, cut three low-value drains this week, and try to add as many sources of  income as you can. Small, deliberate moves compound into wealth.

Building wealth isn’t about working harder—it’s about pulling the right levers. Canadians who get this right create freedom, security, and real choices. At Blueprint Financial, we’ve helped many Canadians simplify their money, reduce taxes, and retire with confidence.

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