Making $1 million in a year sounds impossible to most people, but Michael Black—known as @mikeblack on Instagram—wanted to prove otherwise. The self-made millionaire gave up his wealth, became homeless, and set out to rebuild from nothing, documenting every step on his YouTube channel (@themikeblack).
His goal? To make $1 million within a year through a challenge he called the “Million Dollar Comeback.”
But with just two months left, the experiment came to an unexpected halt—and Black was forced to face some tough realities.
Giving up everything to start over
In July 2020, Black walked away from his business, network, savings, and even his apartment, leaving himself with nothing but the clothes on his back.
“I knew a lot of people who lost everything during the pandemic and they got really depressed. I even had a friend that lost a $10 million business overnight,” he explained in a Nas Daily YouTube video.
Inspired by their struggles, he wanted to prove that anyone could bounce back—even from absolute rock bottom.
Early struggles and small wins
Documenting his journey from day one, Black faced immediate challenges, including nights where he considered sleeping on a bench.
In a rare act of kindness, a man with an RV offered him a place to stay for a few nights, showing that even in hardship, generosity exists.
From there, he got creative with making money, selling furniture online to earn his first $300. By day five, he had enough to buy himself a computer, and within two weeks, he had secured an office space.
A major health scare changes everything
Four months into the challenge, Black’s father was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
While dealing with the emotional toll of his father’s chemotherapy, Black also struggled with serious health issues of his own.
What his viewers didn’t know was that he had been quietly visiting doctors between filming videos. He later revealed that he had been diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, causing chronic fatigue and joint pain.
Forced to end the experiment early
Despite everything, Black had managed to make $64,000—but as his health worsened, he had to make a difficult decision.
In a 2021 video, he announced that he was ending the challenge with two months still remaining.
“I have officially decided to end the project early. Now, as much as it hurts me to do this, especially with just two months left, I feel like it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Black admitted that something had pushed him over the edge, making it impossible to continue.
A heartfelt goodbye to his supporters
As he wrapped up the project, Black took a moment to thank his audience, reflecting on the ups and downs of the journey.
“We have been through a lot together. We laughed and cried together. We walked miles together and spent late nights in the office, working super hard when no one else was watching,” he said.
He had hoped to show that success is possible from nothing, but his biggest takeaway was that health and family must come first.
More than just a social experiment
Though Black didn’t reach his $1 million goal, his journey highlighted the realities of starting over.
His experience showed that determination, resourcefulness, and a bit of luck can create opportunities from nothing, but life’s unpredictable challenges can shift even the best-laid plans.
In the end, he may not have made a million dollars—but he gained a million lessons.
This article originally appeared last year.
