Brooklyn Software Engineer Pays $159K to Rentatech His Life to NYC
KEY POINTS
- •Devonte Duncan, 27, dropped out after three years as a physics major and entered a software engineering fellowship.
- •He now makes $159,000 annually in Brooklyn, sharing a $3,450 rent with his fiancée who pays $1,000 monthly.
- •After accumulating $30,000 debt, he took a consolidation loan and regularly saves 10% of his paycheck despite lifestyle creep.
Devonte Duncan, a 27-year-old NYC-born software engineer, graduated from a fellowship, not college, earning a hefty $159K base salary. Brooklyn love came with a $3,450 two-bedroom rent — roughly quadruple his family’s $900 starter apartment — split awkwardly with his fiancée who chips in $1,000. He also battles a $947 monthly debt consolidation loan from a $30K lifestyle creep spree including electric skateboards and a Tesla-to-Subaru downgrade. YouTube channel Dose of Devy nets a modest $100/month after peak $400 glory days, while grocery bills run $400 and travel to Brazil & Japan drained thousands. Handy strategy? Pretend savings account ‘does not exist.’ In the great NYC irony, he’s financially disciplined enough to max out 401(k), but the price of living keeps laughing in his face.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Made nearly $160K, spends $3,450 on rent, $947 on debt, and can’t cancel gym membership yet. Brooklyn’s budget reality: earn big, pay bigger, pretend savings is invisible.
Making six figures in NYC sounds great until you realize your rent alone could buy a decent car—or a small country’s GDP.
Trading a 2021 Tesla for a 2019 Subaru because debt hit harder than the acceleration. Welcome to adulthood.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/22/2026 | Author: Martina Nacach Cowan Ros
More Articles in Business
Trump Temporarily Waives Beef Tariffs Just Long Enough To Bribe Midterms
Mom's AI Trip Planner Confuses Spain with Panama, Aunt Hikes Like It's Everest
Tech Writer's Week Involves Etsy Grips, E-Bikes, and Swatting Flies Like a Pro
U.S. and Canada Cancel Trade Deal Over Hockey Gear, Cement, and Dairy Drama
Disney Dumps Spousal Health Insurance When Spouses Have Jobs, Decency Optional
Brothers Turn Medicare Into $25 Billion AI-Driven Goldmine, Grandparents Not Included
Best Buy Turns 60, Sells $100 Gift Cards for $60 Because Math
Etiquette Experts Demand You Stop Psychoanalyzing Lunch Choices at Work
