Book: Babaykin “Retired at 35”

Another book by yet another popular blogger. Lately, I find myself reading more and more of these. On the other hand, it’s always interesting to see what people like and why. Although this case is a bit different. I have no idea who this Babaykin guy is. He claims to talk a lot about investments and be well-connected in various circles… but a quick search didn’t bring up this so-called “famous blogger,” so I couldn’t figure out what the book is based on (probably just bad at searching). Unlike Alexey Markov, whose book Hoolinomics was clearly grounded in his blog and who pops up instantly in search results. And then there’s the fact that the author is hiding behind a pseudonym, which I always find odd. Maybe he just doesn’t want attention (even though he talks quite a lot about his personal life).

But that’s beside the point. I wasn’t that interested in the blog anyway, given that there’s already a book. Plus, the rating seems pretty high.

The title of the book is intriguing in itself. Everyone’s lazy these days, no one wants to work, and sitting idle at 35 while feeling like a millionaire is the ultimate dream for most ordinary people. I’ll buy the book, read it, and become just like that! (Sounds a bit like some pitches I heard back in the ’90s.)

The author, Babaykin, claims that his book is the shortest and most practical guide to investments for those who want to stop working for “the man” or even for themselves. After all, the author has tried both paths, running nearly ten businesses. He explains, in very simple terms, why this isn’t the way to go.

Babaykin is a follower of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) philosophy, well-known in certain circles. He mentions it in his book but primarily focuses on how to achieve the results it promotes.

I’ll agree that the book is short and fairly easy to read. Its main idea is to invest everything you have in smart investments rather than in businesses, expensive trinkets, or buying real estate for personal use.

The author explores various investment strategies, explaining the difference between stock purchases and dividend income, why building your own house is much worse than renting, and even the pitfalls of marriage.

However, in practice, an unprepared reader will struggle to understand what exactly to do or the significant differences between all the types of investments discussed. The knowledge provided remains VERY superficial. To truly grasp the concepts and begin taking action, you’ll need to read much more and dive deeply into the subject. Many people are held back by fear at this first step—it’s confusing and time-consuming to start doing something. The book doesn’t help overcome this fear.

On the other hand, there’s plenty of commentary about the foolishness of others, pointless investments, and problems arising from family life and divorce… along with a lot of self-admiration and confidence in his own correctness. A healthy dose of ego is always useful, but this sometimes borders on narcissism. Interestingly, in his next book (which I might review separately), Babaykin criticizes narcissism. Even when discussing how he earns his money, Babaykin repeatedly makes disclaimers like, “I’m not advising you to do this, I won’t explain it in detail—figure it out for yourself; everyone has their own approach.” So why do we need you, then?

His advice can ultimately be boiled down to a few points:

• Getting married is bad. It comes with responsibility and consideration for others’ desires (his new wife, by the way, handles her own investments).
• To invest successfully and avoid failure, you need to spend several years reading materials and learning (he provides very few concrete resources).
• Don’t copy me; these are my personal tricks.
• Don’t try anything at all until you’ve spent at least five years actively investing.
• Go to a psychologist regularly; they’ll set your mind straight.
• And above all, I’m great—I quit my job and business, and now everything’s wonderful for me (this message runs through the entire book).

The author repeatedly emphasizes the importance of accumulating capital to invest later. This is why it’s critical to start early—you’ll have more time to save.

He himself started investing after selling his personal apartment and an unfinished house his father had started building. This highlights another nuance: to earn noticeable returns, you need more than 100 rubles—a relatively substantial initial capital is required. And that’s an issue for most people.

So, it’s unclear why the book has such high ratings. It raises questions about their authenticity. The book is of little practical use, except that it might give you a slightly better understanding of investment strategies—if you’ve never looked into the topic before.

That said, the marketing is strong. The book catches your eye and grabs your attention with its title.

My rating: 2.5/5