Eddie Nuñez came to the United States in 2002, hoping to get U.S. citizenship and a college education. Two decades later, he has six income streams that bring in close to half a million dollars a year.
What To Know: According to a CNBC report, Nuñez emigrated from Peru to the U.S. in 2002, and it wasn't easy. During the 4,000-mile journey he was strip-searched and robbed at gunpoint.
When he finally made it to the U.S., things didn't get much easier. He had to deal with the troubles of living as an undocumented immigrant just a year after the 9/11 attacks.
“Living [in the U.S.] as an undocumented person just means working and working and working,” Nuñez said.
He didn't shy away from the challenge. After years of hard work and perseverance, he can now provide for his family as a recognized citizen of the United States. Now 34 years of age, Nuñez and his wife have six income streams. They both work two jobs and they also run a snowplow business on the side and have seven rental properties. In 2022, the couple brought in $420,000.
"Coming from Peru, I always knew that money was important, and you only get as far as your efforts," he said.
Before starting the snowplowing side hustle, Nuñez tried and failed many times. Some of his ventures included selling inflatable bounce houses, renting giant hamster balls and flipping cars.
In 2011, he and his wife bought a truck with a snowplow attached for $17,000. Following some initial success, the couple continued pouring money into the business and expanding their fleet. Now they own 10 trucks with plows.
According to documents viewed by CNBC, Nuñez and his wife brought in more than $150,000 in just one week during a winter storm in 2016.
The snowplow business has a ton of potential, but it's weather-dependent. That's where the other income streams come into play. Nuñez works in IT consulting and also as a cybersecurity contractor. His wife runs her own daycare and works as a real estate agent.
"My idea to get to my goals faster was to have different streams of income and revenue," Nuñez said.
The couple is still looking for ways to build out their portfolio of businesses. Nuñez said he has a goal of buying 20 more rental properties and at least two more businesses. He wants to keep pushing, but he's happy with the life he has built to date.
"Life’s not easy, but it’s definitely given me good opportunities to be present in my kids’ daily lives. … I’m super happy to be able to actually achieve that goal, to provide them with the lifestyle I didn’t have as a child," Nuñez said.
This story is part of a new series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.
Photo: Skentophyte from Pixabay.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
