I've made millions with real-estate investments despite starting out with $45,000 of debt. Here's how I scaled my business.

• Maximilian Reidl found himself 42,000 euros in debt in his early 20s.
• He paid off his debt after buying and selling a property for a 100,000 euro profit.
• He told Insider how he did it, from obtaining the financing to scaling his new business.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maximilian Reidl about his real-estate portfolio, which Insider has verified with documentation. It is an edited, translated version of an article that originally appeared on December 13, 2022.

At 22 years old, I was working as a clerk in a savings bank.