That's pretty good Steve, unheard of in fact, begin with no RE knowledge with limited funds and average $250,000 for 5 years! Wow!
I don't consider $1M in net worth rich, it's a comfortable position, but not rich. OTH, $10M isn't rich in my book either, it's well off.
Speaking of youth, my comment of being taken seriously may not have been justified very well, so I'll explain my thinking.
I assumed we all began not knowing squat.
I assumed others like myself didn't hang with 47, 50, 55, 60 and 70 year old folks who control the larger RE business/deals/projects/business equities in my area, I hung with those in my age group. Certainly I spoke and had learning opportunities from those movers and shakers.
I remember buying houses at that 20 something age, I bought from homeowners, one on one, 2 and 3 bedroom jobs. They were all middle income, working class homes. Granted, I was also in the Army, had that military bearing, but I was learning RE. Yes, homeowners took me seriously.
I also don't think you can buy properties from those who may take a young starter seriously will make you "rich" in 10 years, if people are truthful here, they didn't average 20 properties from year one to the end. I'm guessing that the purchases will be skewed, maybe 3 deals in year one and gradually increasing. The appreciation and income streams will probably take ten years at least, more like 15 maybe 20, getting to that undefined plateau of "rich".
You would need to work bigger deals to accelerate that growth. Working big projects means joining the club of those movers and shakers, at 25, I don't see that bunch taking one seriously unless they are already wealthy or have access to large sums of money. At 25, you don't have the expertise or knowledge to play on that playground, like a grade school kid playing ball with a high school ball team.
So, my comment is to reality. Assuming you begin not knowing RE, assuming you don't have big pockets, just a job, making a living and getting started.
I can say that at 25 I had a heck of a lot more energy and perhaps drive and big ideas than I did at 45. The big ideas (wild ideas) mellow to reality too, you learn and that takes about 5 to 7 years to really get in the grove, IMO. If you start at the beginning as I described.
I don't really know the Bill Gates story, I think he began as a kid and didn't really hit on his niche for several years, probably 5 to 7 just guessing. His business didn't really hit rich for several more years while in college and dropped out knowing he had something. I'd just bet it took him more than 10 years in his life to hit rich, and, Bill is exceptional too.
In fact, I could see that in my market, price ranges, inventory that buying rentals wasn't going to get me there for some time. I went into financing, that opened the doors to larger transactions, partnerships and dealing in notes, which was much more profitable. It took about 15 years of messing around in RE, with a job, before I began that side.
Agreed, the moral of all this is double clutch it while you are young and get going, but don't be discouraged as you pay your dues in the learning process. The learning process never ends either! :)