If you're tracking success by Instagram followers, media mentions, or the size of your startup's valuation, Kevin O'Leary has some bad news for you. You're keeping score wrong.

The Shark Tank investor recently shared his personal definition of making it, and it's refreshingly simple: Do you have $5 million sitting in a liquid account that you absolutely never touch? If the answer is no, you haven't crossed the finish line yet.

In a post on X last month, O'Leary laid out the benchmark. "The real test is simple," he wrote. "Do you have $5 million liquid that you never touch?" He wasn't talking about looking rich or living large. He was talking about discipline. "Most founders never build" that nest egg, he explained, because they can't resist the usual traps: over-investing in their own ventures, doubling down on risky bets, or lending cash to someone who swears their restaurant concept is going to be huge. "Then wonder why they're broke at 65."

The Nest Egg Philosophy

O'Leary's message is blunt: "Financial freedom comes from one thing—protecting the nest egg." For entrepreneurs especially, this is hard. There's always another opportunity, another gamble, another chance to roll the dice on something that feels like destiny.

In a video accompanying the post, he doubled down on the concept. "The whole idea of financial success as an entrepreneur is to get $5 million in a liquid account that you don't touch," he said. "That may sound easy but it's not easy at all because you're always tempted to buy a watch with it or lend it out to somebody or help your cousin open a restaurant or whatever it is, but that's not what it's for."

And when he says "never touch it," he means it literally. "It's there to guarantee your financial freedom and that of your family for the rest of your life." The only exception? A truly catastrophic situation, like a severe health crisis. That's your emergency parachute. Everything else? Not catastrophic enough.

Live Off the Income, Never the Principal

So what's the point of having $5 million if you can't use it? O'Leary's strategy is to let it work for you. "You should expect to make 5% a year on it," he said, positioning it as a long-term wealth builder that generates income without eroding the base. "Touch the income, never touch the principal."

At 5% annually, that's $250,000 a year in passive income. That's the financial freedom he's talking about—not needing to hustle, not needing to take another big swing, not worrying about the next deal going south.

Not Just for Billionaires

O'Leary wasn't aiming this advice at the ultra-wealthy. He framed it for everyday entrepreneurs, side-hustlers, and solopreneurs grinding their way up from nothing. The $5 million mark isn't arbitrary—it's the dividing line between those who build something lasting and those who burn out with nothing to show for it. Not because they lacked talent or drive, but because they never learned to hold the line.

It's a harsh formula: build the nest egg, protect the nest egg, or end up broke after years of risk and sacrifice. O'Leary isn't breaking new ground here, but he's making it painfully clear. The winners aren't the ones who spend the most or look the flashiest. They're the ones who save the most and refuse to flinch when temptation comes knocking.

The Rule Applies to Everyone

While this particular clip targeted entrepreneurs, O'Leary has made it clear in previous interviews that the $5 million rule isn't just for startup founders. In a 2023 video on his YouTube channel, he put it plainly: "You have to get to a place where you have $5 million in the bank. Not in real estate. Not in stocks. Cold, hard cash." That, he argued, is the true measure of financial freedom.

For those not pitching on Shark Tank or building the next unicorn, reaching that $5 million cushion means putting capital to work strategically. That could mean backing early-stage companies with long-term upside or building steady passive income through fractional real estate platforms like Arrived, which is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The strategy might vary, but the goal remains the same: grow your assets, protect the principal, and never touch the nest egg.

Can You Pass the Test?

O'Leary didn't offer shortcuts or hacks for getting to $5 million faster. He only offered one test: Can you leave the money alone once you have it? Because if you can't resist the urge to spend, reinvest emotionally, or help out that cousin with the big idea, he's already betting on how your story ends.

It's not a comforting message. But it might be the most honest one out there.