Vivian Tu is a self-made millionaire who has held positions on Wall Street and at BuzzFeed, garnering 5.2 million online followers for her financial advice since 2017. Tu also launched a media company that earned $3 million in 2023, and she accomplished all of this before even turning thirty. She is the author of “Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life,” filled with her personal finance tips and secrets. And now, as a successful influencer, she shares much of her wisdom and advice on TikTok, where she describes herself as “Your Rich BFF.”
As a child of immigrants, 29-year-old Tu was a financial expert and viewed money as a scarce resource growing up. “I felt like if I did not have a ridiculous amount of cash in the bank ready to go at any moment, the second I didn’t have it, something bad was going to happen to me,” Tu said.
Tu eventually accepted a position as an equities trader at JP Morgan, where she met the only other woman on the trading floor. Her highly knowledgeable friend would teach her multiple financial lessons and become her mentor. This relationship proved vital for Tu’s future, ultimately paving the way for her prominence as a financial guru, poised to help others transform their lives.
Before reaching millions on TikTok, however, Tu took her years of knowledge and experience and put them into her book, “Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life.” The novel begins by illuminating some of the traits and mindsets of the wealthy. This includes how many of the richest people have information and tips among themselves and, in many cases, give away money strategically to make even more. Rich AF delves into a Personal Finance 101 section, and Tu later offers a helpful money management guide and the fundamentals of getting rich.
For example, Tu says, “They’re talking about all these things, but they have made it so that for the rest of us talking about money, it’s taboo and tacky because it benefits them.” Tu continued, “Who benefits when employees don’t talk about how much they make? Corporations, the people who own corporations. Who are those people? Rich people, of course.”
Tu soon left Wall Street for Buzzfeed, where she shared her knowledge with friends and coworkers, many of whom would seek her advice on subjects such as stock options and HSAs. Then, in 2021, Tu started My Rich BFF on TikTok and went viral in only one week!
Her first video gained 100,000 followers and kicked off another highly lucrative journey for Tu. She actively posts a broad range of content in the personal finance niche, including ways to save money on expenses such as cars and flights, information about getting rich in your 30s and 40s, and shares valuable tax advice.
Tu believes people often need more robust financial literacy as they have been kept in the dark, which only increases her desire to share her information with the public, and what better place than TikTok? Tu’s dedication to sharing her financial expertise reflects her commitment to empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate their financial journeys with confidence and clarity.
