I would never buy a car like an M5 or the such if it puts you into debt and keeps you from buying an important asset like house, or retirement investments. I can afford an M5 now, but I'm 43 and worked very hard to get into this position. My retirement is set, my homes have small mortgages, and events like the recent Nasdaq and Dow drops have not affected my portfolio in a way that causes me to rethink what I purchase in the way of cars.

I once bought a Porsche, because I thought I had enough income to support it. Unfortunately, my career took a bit of a downturn, and it was financially damaging to me to have that lease. I did not buy my first luxury BMW (a 740i) when I had a big bunch of money in the bank.

As for how I got here. Hard work. A good industry. Numerous risks. International experience. And then I joined a start-up with tons of stock options.

Others do it in slightly different ways, but I think hard work is the common thread.