How Much External Income Would Raise Eyebrows or Allow Me to Exit the Military
I am a 27 y/o E-5 in the Army, and in January 2024 I unofficially started a side business involving private investment. I had a net profit of about $400,000 in 2024. So far in January 2025 the business has a net profit of around $80,000. It’s been a great month, but I’m projecting my profits will cool down and possibly finish around $350,000 for the year. Assuming my projections are accurate, this seems excessive for the military. I emailed my security manager to report my income, but he never replied to me and seems uninterested in talking about my side business, so I haven’t reported it. If it adds substance, I have a TS/SCI clearance and work in a somewhat sensitive line of work. Not sure if this affects anything.
I am content with my Army job, but I do have dreams of scaling up my business or diversifying into real estate, etc. how many years would this side business need to prove profitable before I get the boot or have the option to voluntarily boot myself?